Managing Up

# Managing Up - All Guest Insights

*35 guests, 50 mentions*

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## Alex Komoroske
*Alex Komoroske*

> "The underlying dynamic that must be true in any organization on a fundamental basis is you can't make your boss look dumb because if you do, they're the person who decides, 'Oh, this person's not performing,' or whatever. And that one little asymmetry, that one little fact... is what leads to the systemic compounding thing where you get these really weird dysfunctional emergent things that everybody hates."

**Insight:** Organizational dysfunction often stems from the simple power asymmetry where subordinates feel they cannot challenge a leader's public narrative without personal risk.

**Tactical advice:**
- Acknowledge 'organizational kayfabe'—the things everyone pretends are true—to navigate the system without being 'knocked out of the game.'
- Find ways to introduce disconfirming evidence that doesn't feel like an existential threat to leadership.

*Timestamp: 00:29:12*


## Ami Vora
*Ami Vora*

> "With Max, I also wrote a parallel document of hot takes. So once a quarter or so for the first year, I'd write a document that was just like, hey, for sake of provocation, if we wanted to fundamentally change a few things, here's ideas on what we could fundamentally change."

**Insight:** Build a high-trust relationship with a CEO by proactively sharing provocative strategic observations.

**Tactical advice:**
- During onboarding, write a list of themes and observations to build credibility.
- Create a 'hot takes' document to spark discussion on fundamental changes with the executive team.

*Timestamp: 01:09:09*


## Anneka Gupta
*Anneka Gupta*

> "As having a founder that can effectively operate in founder mode means that I can go and have a conversation with the CEO and say, "Hey, look, we have this huge opportunity and these are the things that aren't working, and I need your help to help figure out how we can move the needle more substantially in the direction that we need to go.""

**Insight:** A product leader can leverage a founder's unique power as a resource to unblock major initiatives and drive organizational change.

**Tactical advice:**
- Activate the CEO as an ally to push initiatives that require high-level power to move the needle.
- When a founder pushes a 'pet project,' identify the underlying objective and suggest alternative options that meet that goal more effectively.

*Timestamp: 00:11:23*


## Bangaly Kaba
*Bangaly Kaba*

> "A lot of times I think there is a big disconnect between an IC focusing on their discrete area and try to optimize for local maxima, versus understanding, okay, my manager's thinking about these things and this is how I fit in, and understanding maybe they have a gap to understanding why your area is important."

**Insight:** Effective managing up requires understanding your manager's broader objectives and showing how your work supports those goals.

**Tactical advice:**
- Identify what your manager is currently optimizing for and find synergies with your own remit.
- Take on adjacent tasks that are on your manager's plate to alleviate their burden and increase your scope.

*Timestamp: 00:18:28*


## Boz
*Boz*

> "The advice I find I have to give more frequently than any other in my career, as a manager, a board member, an advisor and a friend, is for people to more directly leverage their leaders."

**Insight:** Your primary job is to achieve results, and your manager is a resource with tools and authority that can clear paths and accelerate your work.

**Tactical advice:**
- Ask for help to bulldoze blockers rather than trying to solve everything yourself.
- Frame updates as 'no response required' to keep leaders informed without creating a burden.
- Provide a 'heartbeat' or 'ping' to your manager so they have a mental model of your progress.

*Timestamp: 00:13:40*

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> "We actually used to have a format for that we called HPMs. Highlight, people, me. And every manager at Fa