Apr 13, 2020How to get back on our feet? Testing.How much longer? Many of us hope that with the change of seasons will come a return to normalcy — or some version of it. But how do we get back on our feet by summer? The key is an immediate, increased focus on testing. In the first employment report…Covid 193 min readCovid 193 min read
Mar 11, 2020COVID-19 & NewtonThere are two parts in this post on COVID. The first lists measures that the City of Newton is taking to slow the spread of COVID-19. The second outlines measures that the federal government should take. City of Newton measures re: COVID-19: • Postponing or holding virtually public gatherings that…Corvid2 min readCorvid2 min read
Oct 6, 2019On background: service and opportunityGrowing up, my dad used to say that politics was the noblest profession. Most would scoff at that, today. Most probably would have when I was a kid, too, actually. It’s been a long time since politics, at least on the national stage, has merited that description. But my dad…Military3 min readMilitary3 min read
Jan 8, 20195 proven ways to transform traffic and transitMassachusetts should be scientific about improving mobility Getting around keeps getting harder. Yet here in the science capital of the world we ignore the evidence about how to reduce congestion. Here are five ideas, tried and proven elsewhere, that state policymakers should test: 1. Price parking and driving according to…Transportation3 min readTransportation3 min read
Published in Solaria Labs·Sep 24, 2018How to take insightful notes as a team — and make them actionableTeams of smart people are not necessarily smart teams. re:Work by Google has published insightful research on the dynamics of effective teams, highlighting psychological safety as a critical ingredient, but there are also basic team mechanics in which easy adjustments lever big improvements. One example is note-taking as a team. …Product Management3 min readProduct Management3 min read
Published in Solaria Labs·Sep 24, 2018The mechanics of outcome-driven innovation at Solaria LabsThis article is not about the theory and high-level practice of outcome-driven innovation (ODI). There’s better writing on that here than I could offer. This article is about the mechanics of how my team and I put ODI into practice. …Product Management6 min readProduct Management6 min read
Published in DataDrivenInvestor·Sep 21, 2018How to take insightful notes as a team — and make them actionableTeams of smart people are not necessarily smart teams. re:Work by Google has published insightful research on the dynamics of effective teams, highlighting psychological safety as a critical ingredient, but there are also basic team mechanics in which easy adjustments lever big improvements. One example is note-taking as a team. …Design3 min readDesign3 min read
Published in DataDrivenInvestor·Sep 17, 2018The mechanics of Outcome-Driven Innovation at Solaria LabsThis article is not about the theory and high-level practice of outcome-driven innovation (ODI). There’s better writing on that here than I could offer. This article is about the mechanics of how my team and I put ODI into practice. …Jobs To Be Done6 min readJobs To Be Done6 min read
Aug 28, 2018Newton News: Summer in reviewI’m one of your city councilors-at-large and I write to keep you apprised of local affairs. There were no July or August or newsletters; here’s the summer in review: Zoning redesign proceeds on two tracks: process & code review + village visions Planning Department undertaking process & code review Needham…Transportation6 min readTransportation6 min read
May 27, 2018Imagination and WorkMassachusetts, Boston, and the pursuit of General Electric — Rarely have 800 jobs carried such economic clout. When General Electric announced in January 2016 that it was relocating its headquarters from Fairfield, Connecticut to Boston, Massachusetts, the Bay State and beyond raised huzzahs to match the Tea Party. The Boston Globe called it a “major victory” for Governor Charlie…Boston12 min readBoston12 min read
