Below is an archive of every blog post shared through this site since 2010. For posts by topic, check out articles on marketing, leadership, and building new products.
For new posts, check out my Substack newsletter and subscribe:
You might think your career arc should be a straight upward line. Maybe you’ve noticed by now it’s more of a non-linear squiggle.
I used to have a strict plan for what I wanted to do in my career and how it would look. Over the years, though, I’ve changed my thinking of what it means to take risk. It’s opened the door for lots of opportunities I never would have found otherwise.
Read MoreWhether you're a changemaker within an organization, or a startup CEO running your own company, your ability to do great work is directly tied to your team's performance.
You realized this when you transitioned from an individual contributor to a people manager. But it's likely a lesson you're constantly reminded of.
Almost every week, I hear a founder say, "I'm the bottleneck for everything. How do I get my team to be as smart as I am?”
Read MoreI meet so many smart, talented non-marketers who still believe their idea should sell itself. I'll break it to you now: no idea ever sells itself. You just don't see the leader behind-the-scenes working hard to make their idea seem to spread "organically."
The host of the Future Tech podcast, Richard Jacobs, interviewed me about why the best innovation doesn't always win. We discussed why technical leaders–scientists, engineers, researchers, innovators–need to embrace storytelling.
I had the pleasure of being a guest on the Accidental Creative podcast hosted by bestselling author Todd Henry.
Our conversation is relevant if you're a creative, people manager, founder, intrapreneur, or change agent building something new.
On the episode, we dive deeper into:
+ How to embrace map-making as your core mode of operation
+ How to present your ideas so that others can receive them
+ Why it’s important to have a “spiky” point of view
![Make Maps, Don't Just Follow Them [Accidental Creative podcast]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a63ce8249fc2bd3d2b85ef8/1534438445182-V4OQLEPAK4OQPDLQ06Z2/Wes+Kao+Accidental+Creative+podcast.png)