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Because people don’t come with instruction booklets (but wouldn’t it be easier if they did?). This is mine. It’s here to help you understand how I tick, how I work best, and how we can collaborate without stepping on rakes together.

whoami

I’m a mix of big-heartedness, curiosity, and creativity. My Enneagram results put me as:

  • Type 2 (Helper): Warm, caring, people-oriented. I want to support others and make the team feel like a safe, connected place.
  • Type 7 (Enthusiast): Energetic, curious, and idea-hungry. I thrive on variety and love chasing possibilities.
  • Type 4 (Individualist): Authentic, creative, and reflective. I bring depth and individuality, sometimes with a flair of moodiness.

I have AuDHD (autism + ADHD), which colors how I think and work:

  • I usually have about seven trains of thought running at once, sometimes in different directions, sometimes colliding in a glorious mental pile-up.
  • My brain alternates between hyperfocus (deep in the matrix) and scatter (every shiny thing is suddenly fascinating). Both are normal settings for me.
  • I sometimes interrupt because I think I can already see where you’re going, but I’m learning to hit pause and let people land their sentences.
  • I tend to infodump when I get excited about a topic. If I’m going too deep into the weeds, just redirect me. I won’t be offended.
  • Indirect social cues often fly right over my head. If you need something from me, please just say it directly.
  • Also, did anyone see where I left my AirPods? No, seriously.

My values

  • Empathy as a baseline: I believe life is better when people look out for each other. Thoughtfulness and small acts of care go a long way with me.
  • Curiosity first: I’d rather ask questions and explore possibilities than pretend to know everything. For me, curiosity is the gateway to clarity.
  • Authenticity over polish: I’d rather things be real and imperfect than fake and shiny. I value honesty and transparency, even when the truth is messy.
  • Willingness to say the hard thing: I’m generally non-confrontational and I don’t love delivering uncomfortable news. But that instinct has a hard limit: when something contradicts a value I hold, the desire to be liked loses every time. I’ll say the uncomfortable thing, and I’ll say it in public if that’s what it takes.
  • Growth and learning: Mistakes happen; what matters is taking responsibility, adapting, and improving. I’ll own my work and my missteps, and I appreciate when others do too.
  • Playfulness: Humor and lightness make hard work more sustainable. I believe we can take our work seriously without taking ourselves too seriously.

What I value in coworkers

  • Authenticity and honesty. Yes, even blunt honesty. I’ll take a direct “I disagree” over a polite non-answer every time. Say what you mean.
  • Thoughtfulness. Small kindnesses land big with me. Noticing when someone’s struggling, following up unprompted, saying the encouraging thing - these matter more than people realize.
  • Curiosity and playfulness. Problem-solving doesn’t have to be a death march. Bring your weird ideas, your dumb jokes, your “what if we just…” hypotheticals. That’s where the good stuff lives.
  • Respect for different rhythms and quirks. Neurodivergence is part of the team, not a bug to route around. I work best with people who understand that “works differently” and “works worse” aren’t the same thing.

What I’m good at

  • Seeing the shape of a problem, and questioning the premise. I think a few steps ahead and spot root causes fast, and I’m as likely to ask “should we be doing this at all?” as “how do we do it?” Point me at something messy and I’ll often find the answer is to reframe it entirely.
  • Shipping instead of waiting. I’d rather find a gap and start before I feel ready than wait for permission. A lot of what I’ve built began as “well, someone should make this.” I’m comfortable building the plane while flying it - the details often reveal themselves better in motion than on the runway.
  • Making technical things legible. I write and speak about this work as much as I do it. I’m good at translating the deeply technical into something a human can actually use and care about. Jargon is a tax, and I try not to charge it.
  • Making room for other people. I notice who hasn’t spoken yet, and I’ll ask the question someone else seems hesitant to raise. I’d rather a meeting hear from everyone than move fast and miss the quiet expert in the corner.
  • Being a thinking partner. Hand me a half-formed idea and I’ll volley it back until it’s sharper. Collaboration is where I do my best work.

Where I struggle

  • I overcommit. My enthusiasm writes checks my calendar can’t cash. Unchecked, I’ll take on too much and end up underwater.
  • Priorities don’t self-sort for me. Five things of equal urgency and I’ll freeze on sequencing them, like a browser with forty tabs open and no clue which one’s making the noise. Under stress it’s worse. Help me name what matters most.
  • Time is genuinely slippery. Time blindness is a real part of my AuDHD, not a figure of speech, and it cuts both ways: hyperfocus and distraction. My brain recognizes exactly two times: now and not now. Things that are not now may as well be scheduled for never, until suddenly they’re on fire and very much now.
  • I run hot when I’m depleted. Overloaded or unappreciated, I can get snappy or perfectionistic. It’s a signal I’ve overextended, rarely about you.

How I work best

  • Collaboration fuels me. I’m happiest when I can bounce ideas around like mental ping-pong.
  • Variety keeps me energized. Give me a buffet of tasks, and I’ll happily graze.
  • Clear priorities help me focus. Otherwise I may try to juggle flaming torches and chainsaws simultaneously.

When I’m around

  • My responsive hours are roughly 10AM–5PM US Eastern. Treat that as my SLA, not a fence. If you catch me online outside that window, it’s completely fine to ping me, I’ll tell you if I’m not up for it.
  • Some of my best thinking happens late in the evening. So it’s not unusual to see me drop a message in Slack, file an issue, or open a pull request well after hours. That’s just the hamster in my brain deciding it’s time to sprint on the wheel.
  • None of that is an expectation for you. A message at the edges of my day is never an demand for a reply at the edges of yours. I do not ever expect anyone to engage outside their normal working hours, full stop.

How to communicate with me

  • Be clear and kind. I love warmth, but I also need straightforwardness.
  • Explicit is better than implicit. Subtle hints often sneak right past me.
  • Quick check-ins help. A simple “just confirming you’re good with this?” is magic.
  • Please include context when you reach out. A no-context meeting invite or a bare “got a minute?” - especially from someone higher on the org chart - will send my brain directly to “I’m in trouble.” I will spend the intervening time catastrophizing. One sentence of context (“just want to sync on X”) is enough to save us both from that. You don’t need to write an essay, just a grain of signal.

How to support me

  • Watch for signals. When those overloaded signals show up, a little acknowledgment helps more than you’d think.
  • Remind me of boundaries. Sometimes I try to be everyone’s emotional support human, and a lot of what I do, community work, writing in public, staying visible, carries a cost that builds up quietly. Remind me it’s okay to step back. All the way back, if that’s what I need.
  • Nudge me toward the basics. Deep in helping mode, I’ll forget to drink water or breathe. A gentle reminder to take care of myself lands better than you’d think.
  • Anchor me in priorities. Help me pick up the right piece first, especially when stress has me scattered.
  • Allow my moods. My Type 4 side sometimes goes “moody indie soundtrack.” I don’t need fixing; I just need space.
  • Humor works. A well-timed joke resets me better than a motivational poster ever could.

How I like to receive feedback

  • Direct is best. I don’t do well with vague hints. If something’s off, say it plainly. I can’t fix what I don’t know is broken.
  • Kindness matters. I’m open to constructive criticism, but I’ll absorb it more easily if it’s framed with care.
  • Timely > perfect. Don’t wait weeks to craft the perfect message, tell me soon while it’s fresh and actionable.
  • Private first, public later. Critical feedback lands best in private. Positive feedback can be anywhere (and I’ll probably beam like a proud raccoon).
  • Pair it with clarity. If you can, include specific examples or suggestions. Otherwise my brain may spiral trying to fill in the blanks.

Quick reference

Energizes me:

  • Brainstorming and bouncing ideas
  • Variety and new challenges
  • Humor and playfulness
  • Feeling useful and supportive
  • Clear goals (plus room to get creative in how to reach them)

Drains me:

  • Ambiguity and unclear expectations (my brain fills in the blanks with chaos)
  • Endless repetitive tasks
  • Being taken for granted when I’ve overextended
  • Feeling like I have to “mask” my quirks