How to Work With Clark

Why this exists

This document speeds up the Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing cycle. When teams know how I operate from day one, we skip the awkward adjustment period and start building awesome stuff together faster.

It reflects 20 years of experimental learning across 10+ industries. These are the systems that make my teams high performing.

I'm also autistic. I process social cues differently and sometimes miss subtext or implicit expectations. This document provides a framework of practices for me, where a neurotypical person might be more comfortable operating from intuition.

I strive to work with high-performing people who are self-aware. Together we build teams who compensate for each other's gaps. That's intentional. My goal is creating a work environment where we do great things together and share in the economic benefits we create.

TL;DR

• If we work together, you start with my trust.
• Communicate early, especially when something might slip.
• Bring evidence. Attack ideas, not people.
• When I override, I'll own the outcome if it fails.
• Use the right channel for the response window you need.
• Assignments should be explicit: What / By when / Level of Fidelity / Mutually approved.

What you can expect from me

I practice "Give First," a philosophy developed by my mentor Brad Feld. I put energy into our relationship without defining transactional parameters. I don't keep score. I don't know when, from whom, or in what form the returns will come. But I expect they will.

Lifelong relationships

I view my relationships with teammates as extending far beyond our time working together. Some of my closest friends are people I hired years ago and my former managers. I've been a groomsman for a former intern. I've helped employees negotiate job offers when they leave for other companies.

When you move on (and you will, because great people seek new challenges), I celebrate that transition. Your skills and practices spread into the world like dandelion seeds in the wind. That's how our cultural DNA spreads beyond what we can reach directly.

The real ROI of working together isn't measured quarterly. It's measured in shared experiences over decades.

How I show up

• Clear obstacles. If you're blocked, I use my position and relationships to unblock you.
• Share credit generously. Your wins are your wins. I make sure the right people know about them.
• Give you air cover. When things go sideways, I shield you from organizational chaos and take the heat.
• Connect you to opportunities. Inside or outside the company, I introduce you to people who can help your career.
• Learn from you. You're an expert in something I'm not. I can't wait to see what you have to teach me.
• Support your next move. When you're ready to leave, I'll make introductions, support your search, and provide a killer reference.

Where I am

• Timezone: America/Chicago (Central)
• Working hours: Weekdays, normal business hours in my timezone
• Async note: Send async messages whenever. I may respond outside hours. I only guarantee SLAs during business hours CT.
• Unavailable time: If I'm unavailable, it's on my calendar. I expect the same from you.
• Launch mode: I'm effectively always-on during launches.
• Weekends: Not the default. If something truly needs weekend work, we agree explicitly.

What I optimize for

• Ethical and profitable outcomes
• Work that multiplies impact and scales
• Repeatable systems
• Better decision-making over time
• Minimal surprises

How I operate

• Strong opinions, loosely held
• Bad news ages poorly
• Beat up the idea, not the person
• Assume positive intent
• Whoever makes the decision owns the outcome
• Once we commit, we move forward as one team
• Own your work

Work assignments and requests

When we assign work to each other, use this format:

What → By when → Level of Fidelity → Mutually approved

I like intermediary deliverables and checkpoints.

• Reduce wasted effort
• Create alignment early
• Make feedback cheap

Examples

Communication

Default: write-first.

• Slack works for yes/no, approvals, and short updates.
• If something might land with emotional weight, use a quick video call over a wall of text.

Channel SLAs

Choose the channel based on the response window you need.

For Your Situational Awareness (FYSA)

Share the data in the same channel it came from (Emails, Slack, etc.).

If you have new data that a problem might be brewing. Pass it along so we can adjust our plans accordingly.

What "urgent" means to me

• A deadline is about to slip and recovery needs immediate coordination
• A customer, safety, security, legal, or reputation risk is active
• A team member situation needs immediate support

Status updates

I prefer short, timely commentary as projects move through milestones. My role is often analyst, reviewer, and coordinator. These pings help me optimize production across the team.

Default update format

• Done
• Next
• Risks
• Asks

Meetings

I classify meetings into two types.

1) Briefings

A briefing is mostly unidirectional.

• Create a Loom first
• Put the Loom link in the calendar invite
• Put an AI-written summary at the top of the invite description
• State the desired decision or outcome in the description
• Use the meeting time for discussion and feedback
• Aim for 15–30 minutes
• Dismiss everyone once the objective is secured

2) Working groups

A working group is collaborative problem solving.

• Use 30–60 minutes
• Include a pre-brief in the invite
• The pre-brief can be Loom+summary or a short memo or demo link
• When possible: show, don't tell
• Dismiss everyone once the objective is secured

Meeting invite checklist

1. Clear title
2. Desired decision or outcome
3. Pre-brief link
4. Agenda
5. "What does success look like?"

1:1s

• Weekly
• Block 60 minutes
• Set an agenda that can wrap in 30
• You own the agenda
• It's your time to control

One requirement: heatmap inputs

Update me on your Workload and Family Load so I can update my heatmap.

• Family load: 1–10 (no details required)
• Work load: 1–10 (details required)
  • Type of work or volume
  • Interpersonal friction
• Reference: Employee heatmap: the simplest and most effective tool in the management arsenal

Decisions

You own decisions in your domain. I delegate and empower. For major decisions, put together a decision 1-pager.

What counts as a "major decision"

Any decision with one or more of these properties:

• Hard to reverse
• Brand or reputation risk
• Security, legal, or compliance implications
• Material spend or headcount impact
• Strategy or roadmap direction change

Default decision 1-pager

• Your decision
• Why you chose it
• Tradeoffs you considered
• Risks you identified
• What you will mitigate, accept, or insure
• What you need from me, if anything

Disagreement

• Challenge me live and in real time
• Bring evidence
• Expect vigorous debate
• I actively seek input from everyone the decision impacts
• If we can't reach consensus, and I'm the leader, I may need to call the shot
• If I override, I own the outcome if it fails
• Once decided, we all move forward together
• Complaints travel up the chain, not down

Mistakes and bad news

• Flag early
• Own it
• Propose mitigation
• Share the lessons with the team in a retrospective
• Escalate as soon as you realize you need more resources

Feedback

I prefer direct, timely, candid feedback.

• Consider me blind to subtext
• Repeat key points when it matters
• Overcommunicate when in doubt
• If you're unsure I understood, ask for a read back

Read back format

1. "Here's what I heard"
2. "Here's what I'm going to do"
3. "Here's what I'm not going to do"
4. "Did I get that right?"

AI usage

Invest in automation and mastery of your tools.

Things I almost always use AI for.

• Brainstorming ideas
• Research
• Synthesis
• Drafting
• Design
• Coding
• Documentation
• Meeting Summaries
• Editorial Review

I own the final draft and am responsible for its quality and accuracy.

Quality standards

• Customer-facing work can't read like AI slop
• If an internal doc used AI, link to the prompts

Prompts live in a shared Git repository, organized by function or project.

Who I work with

I work with great people.

• If we're working together, that's the signal. You don't need to prove yourself.
• You just need to communicate clearly and own your outcomes.

How I think about fit

I don't hire for one shape. I hire to fill gaps on the team.

I look for people who are deep in one area and broad enough to collaborate (what some call "T-shaped"). That depth usually comes with tradeoffs. Maybe you're incredible technically but need support on stakeholder management. Or you're amazing with customers but need help with process.

That's fine. I put structure and complementary teammates around you to cover those gaps. Tell me what you're great at, where you need support, and how you prefer to receive it.

When debate happens

• Debate ideas
• Don't attack people
• Stay on the same mission

If debate ever feels personal, tell me immediately. I work hard to use non-violent communication and avoid personal attacks. I also strongly believe in constructive debate of ideas.

Where my approach breaks down

I'm not perfect. Here's where working with me gets hard.

• I over-index on speed. Sometimes I move so fast I sacrifice thoroughness or miss edge cases. Call me out when that's happening.
• I miss emotional subtext. If something lands wrong emotionally, I genuinely might not notice. Tell me directly. I can't read between the lines.
• I can be blunt. What I think is "direct and efficient" can feel harsh. It's never personal, but I know it can feel that way.
• I talk through problems verbally. I often verbally process new information, sometimes people confuse this with decision making. That's why I promote the "What, by when, to what level of fidelity?" format.
• I'm bad at small talk. Social niceties don't come naturally. I jump straight to substance. If you need more relationship-building time, let me know.

If any of these create friction, tell me. I can't fix what I don't know is broken.

Commitment and stability

I treat employee relationships like five-year commitments.

• Life happens to everyone
• If you believe in the mission and work to the best of your ability, I will support you through life's ups and downs

I'm loyal to the team and the company.

• Sometimes that means uncomfortable feedback
• The goal is to promote professional growth
• The goal is not to diminish you

Exiting well

If we can't make the relationship work, I want a clean transition.

• Tell me early
• We'll plan the handoff
• We'll protect our personal relationship and keep it professional

Practical operations FAQ

This section exists to remove ambiguity without turning the whole doc into a handbook.

Time off, sickness, and emergencies

• Planned PTO: Give as much notice as possible. Put it on the calendar early. I'm bad at remembering details, so I depend on systems.
• Sick/emergency: Text or call me.
• Health is paramount: The company operates fine without you while you recover. That's why we invest in systems and documentation.
• Coverage: Tell me what's at risk and who you've handed off to (or ask me to help assign coverage).

Remote work and cameras

• I'm remote-friendly
• For nuance/emotions: camera-on when possible
• In large meetings: I often turn off my camera unless I'm speaking

Smaller decisions and commitments

• If the decision is reversible and within your budget/constraints, you own it
• If it's hard to reverse, creates external commitments, or introduces meaningful risk, escalate early

Customer timelines

• Communicate timelines with caveats
• Don't commit to binding dates without checking constraints
• When needed: get estimates and availability from teams you depend on

Shifting priorities mid-sprint

Bring the trade:

1. What you're stopping
2. What you're starting
3. Timeline impact
4. Your recommendation

Then we mutually approve the change.

Tools, access, and systems

• Work lives in the system of record (docs/tickets/repos)
• Chat is for coordination. Links are for truth.
• If you're blocked on access, surface it immediately and we'll route it

Documentation practices

Seek minimum viable process

• If you do an activity more than twice, document it
• If you do it more than twice a month, consider automating it
• Use AI to document your code and tell it to capture the why behind the decisions
• Use Loom to record your screen and voice as you talk through your work, then generate an SOP and store it in the Wiki
• Talk through your process and have AI ask clarifying questions, then tell it to generate a process map

"Enough documentation" means someone else can pick it up and continue without a meeting.

When you're struggling

Flag early. "Asking for help" looks like:

1. Problem statement
2. What you tried
3. What you need
4. By when

Peer collaboration and conflict

• If there's a clear decision owner, they decide
• If there isn't, we create one (temporarily) or I assign one
• For conflict: address directly first when possible. If it persists, escalate

When things go wrong

• Missing a deadline is usually a learning moment
• Repeating the same root cause, hiding issues, or failing to improve is a performance issue