The Hardest Problem

I first read this in 2016—seven years after it was written—and it still haunts me today:

This quote resonated deeply with me because it captured what I’ve felt for years: that we pour our time, passion, and skills into work that all too often falls flat.

My hope is that, together, we can explore the concepts and practices that increase the impact of our work—just a little more—and reduce the energy spent on efforts that don’t matter as much as they should.

Because ensuring the skills and passion of a team come together to achieve impactful results is one of the hardest and most enduring challenges I’ve faced in my career.

The Quest for Balance

My career has taught me that meaningful impact and purpose come from balancing three pillars: technology, tradecraft, and engagement. Each plays a vital role, and success depends on how well they work together.

Technology

Technology is about deeply understanding the capabilities of the tools and systems we use, including their strengths and limitations. It’s about knowing what a technology can do and when it’s the right fit for the problem at hand, but also recognizing when it’s not the right fit and a new approach or technology should be explored.

Tradecraft

Tradecraft is about understanding patterns, principles and best practices that apply across many different technologies. Examples include:

• modular design
• separation of concerns
• fault tolerance strategies

Equally important is knowing when to break from these patterns. Tradecraft also involves developing a sense for when a particular technology requires a different approach to achieve the best results.

Tradecraft mastery results in applications that are:

• maintable
• reliable
• scaleable
• resilient

Engagement

Engagement ensures that the time and effort spent mastering technology and tradecraft are directed toward solving the right problems.

Effective engagement aligns on a shared vision and long-term goals while building consensus on what is most valuable to pursue. It also involves fostering a sense of urgency to deliver meaningful outcomes— or to quickly recognize and pivot if those outcomes are not as valuable as anticipated.

Effective engagement requires a willingness to learn and adapt to reality. If something isn’t working, stop. Agile practices reflect many of these ideas, but engagement goes beyond routine processes. It’s about executing these practices well, with intent and focus, to ensure they deliver the expected results.

Striking the Right Balance

Focusing too much on one or two pillars while neglecting the others leads to imbalance:

• A team centered on Technology + Tradecraft might build a well-engineered solution that no one wants.
• A team prioritizing Engagement + Technology might deliver a brittle, unscalable solution.
• A team focused on Engagement + Tradecraft might limit its potential by sticking to familiar tools, narrowing the solution space.

True success requires flexibility across all three pillars. It means knowing when to invest deeply in one pillar while maintaining focus on the others to adapt and deliver results.

Finding this balance is hard—but when we do, the results can change everything. This blog is my space to explore what it takes to achieve that balance — and share what I’ve learned along the way.

Balance is Hard

Achieving that balance is tough.

Really tough.

The temptation to over-focus on one dimension—whether it’s chasing the latest tech, perfecting a skill, or getting lost in customer requests—is constant. I’ve fallen into those traps—and I still do.

At the same time, I’ve had small successes—moments where everything aligned, and the work truly made an impact. These are moments I look back on with pride and fondness. Those moments remind me of what’s possible when we get it right—and what I’ve learned is that failure isn’t the end.

Failure is an opportunity to adjust, learn, and try again. Each misstep reveals a little more about how to navigate this balance, and each success (no matter how small) reinforces that it is possible.

Let’s Connect

Every individual and team has the potential to deliver impactful solutions—with focus, collaboration, and a commitment to balance.

This blog is a space to share stories, lessons, and insights from my journey. If you’re passionate about a particular pillar— whether it’s technology, tradecraft, or engagement— your feedback, whether positive or critical, is welcome and valuable.

If the impact of your work isn’t matching the impact you imagined, I hope this space offers a community of supportive people to help you try new approaches, achieve small wins, and feel more fulfilled in your efforts.

And if you’ve found success, I’d love to hear your stories, especially those that can help others succeed.

Together, we can learn, grow, and channel the energy and passion we pour into our work toward impactful outcomes.