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Why Most Americans Chose Trump in the 2020 Election: A Candid Look

The election results are clear: Donald Trump won the presidency, Republicans held the Senate, and they might keep the House. I voted for Kamala Harris and Democrats across the ballot, so this wasn’t my preferred outcome. But I get why most Americans made this choice. In this post, I’ll break down the key reasons that resonated deeply with voters — and why, at one point, I nearly considered voting Republican myself. Why I Nearly Voted Republican Before Biden stepped down, I was genuinely on the verge of voting Republican. Had Trump not been the candidate, I’m almost certain I would have. Here’s what drove me — and likely many others — toward the Republican ticket. 1. Ideology Overload I respect individual freedom and people’s right to choose their gender, religion, race — you name it. But respect goes both ways. Supporting individual choice shouldn’t mean pushing ideology onto those who may not agree. Take Pride Month, for example. Imagine if there were a “Straight Catholic Month” every
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Beyond the Buzzword: How to Truly Empower Your Team

We've all experienced it —either asking or receiving a question that is answered with: “I want you to feel empowered.” It’s easy to say, but what does it really mean? Why did the person need to ask for input in the first place? Empowerment is a popular leadership buzzword, but it often falls short in practice. I’ve had moments where, despite my best intentions, my teams felt stuck, lost, or unable to perform because the right support wasn’t fully in place. Simply telling someone they’re empowered doesn’t magically create the conditions for it. Without the right tools, environment, and guidance, teams can quickly struggle. As project leaders, our role is to speed up decision-making, remove obstacles, and set our teams up for success—not leave them to navigate challenges alone. When your team asks for input, it’s not a lack of initiative. There's always an underlying reason. Instead of brushing it off with “I want you to feel empowered,” ask yourself: What’s stopping them from ac

Zen of the Platform PM

In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, the role of a Platform Product Manager (PM) has become increasingly critical. Platforms serve as the backbone for countless applications, integrations, and innovations, making the PM's role pivotal in ensuring their success. This book, "Zen of the Platform PM," is designed to provide you with practical insights, strategies, and philosophies that can transform your approach to platform product management. Through a series of concise and actionable chapters, we explore the core principles that can help you navigate the complexities of this role. From fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration to prioritizing depth over breadth in your API design, each chapter delves into essential aspects of platform management. We emphasize the importance of direct customer engagement, the value of a dedicated Customer Success team, and the necessity of measuring success through meaningful user engagement. Whether you are a seasoned

Achieving Sustained Agility

Hi, my name is Humberto, Carnegie Mellon alum with over 15 years of experience as a Product Manager, including a significant and ongoing tenure at Microsoft, where I focus on developing platforms and products for both enterprise and consumers. During my career, as well as through the experiences shared by colleagues at various organizations, I've observed teams sometimes struggle to achieve sustained agility and fall into the "Hamster Wheel of Haste". In this post I will explain the nature of this pattern, its signs, and how teams and leaders can improve with proven techniques.  Definition The hamster wheel of haste is a permanent state of feeling too busy, wanting to make fast progress but being unable to do so over a sustained period. This leads teams to neglect efforts that would help them increase their speed and rely on short term crutches that further perpetuate the cycle. When teams remain in this state for too long, it inevitably leads to burnout. ⚠️Warning Sig

Ziply Fiber Rocks - Just be Patient

We recently switched from Comcast to Ziply.  Blazing fast speeds for about half the price. There is a key to success though:  Patience . On January 9th, I scheduled a Ziply installation for January 16th.  The process took several visits to complete and even though Ziply tells you it can take several visits, there were a couple of snafus along the way that overcomplicated things and required deep breathing ;)  January 12. NetVision, a contractor hired by Ziply, checked if we had "conduit" to our home. We did not so one would have to be buried and that would require another visit.  January 15th. Got a call from Ziply letting me know that a technician would be next day to install the service (not bury the cable). I told them I was under the impression we didn't have conduit yet but the rep said that it was ok and the technician would figure it out January 16th. The Ziply technician came and sure enough, told me I didn't have conduit yet so he couldn't do anything. H
¿Qué incrementa el riesgo de COVID-19? Fundamentalmente el riesgo de que a una persona le de COVID está ligado a la cantidad de virus a la que se está expuesto . Entre más expuesto, más probable es el contagio. Los siguientes factores contribuyen; es importante que NO es solo un factor aislado, todos contribuyen. Tu comportamiento y el de los demás influye.  Factor Riesgo Alto Riesgo Medio Riesgo Bajo Número de personas Interactuar con muchas personas   Interactuar con 5 o menos personas q se estan cuidando Interactuar solo con las personas que viven en la misma casa Distanciamiento Estar junto a otras personas Estar a menos de 2 menos de distancia de personas Estar a mas de 2 metros de distancia de otras personas Tiempo de interacción Interactuar por más de 5 minutos Solo unos minutos Contactos breves Ori

Giving lessons using a digital whiteboard

This simple tutorial will show you how to use and share a digital whiteboard to give remote lessons. A word of advice upfront: be patient . This is a simple process and you can get going very quick, depending on your approach and existing hardware, but it may also take time. Think about this as an investment to help you deliver more effective remote learning; so set aside a couple of hours to learn, try, relearn and try again :)   Step 1. Install or access a whiteboard app If you Google "whiteboard application" you will get lots of alternatives. Pick the one that best suites your needs. For this tutorial I picked Microsoft Whiteboard . Step 2. Learn how to use a whiteboard app Launch the whiteboard app and familiarize yourself with its tools. You will see ways to draw, insert images, etc.  Click around and see what each tool does. Spend as much time as you need to feel comfortable. Think about this tool similar to how you think about Word and Excel, you need to learn the basi