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Team as Sports Team Not Family
Leadership / Advice
A sports team is a better metaphor than a family for how engineering teams should work.
Family Metaphor (Problems)
- Families don't fire members.
- Families tolerate dysfunction out of loyalty.
- Family implies unconditional belonging.
- Performance becomes secondary to relationship.
Sports Team Metaphor (Strengths)
- Everyone has a clear role.
- Performance matters.
- The team works toward a shared goal.
- Players are selected based on contribution.
- There's mutual respect and trust, but also accountability.
What This Means in Practice
- Care about people deeply, but be honest about performance.
- Everyone should be here because they contribute, not out of obligation.
- Support each other intensely, but keep the bar high.
- It's okay to move on when the fit isn't right - for either side.
The Balance
This doesn't mean being cold or transactional. Sports teams have deep bonds. But those bonds come from shared effort and mutual respect, not from pretending no one can ever leave.
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