Put the puppy in their hands

Moving fast without breaking things

Animal shelters have a tactic for finding homes for puppies: they place the puppy in your hands. Then it's much harder to walk away. This was the most impactful advice I received during my time at Coinbase, and it has become my guide for navigating larger organizations as an engineer. Instead of getting entangled in undirected debates, be the one who builds a tangible prototype. Record a demo and make it feel real. When others can see and interact with your idea, they're far more likely to grok it.

Some call this a "bias toward action," but it's more than that. It's about helping others see what you see with a basic, working proof of concept that they can poke holes in. Engineers possess this superpower, and with new AI coding tools, it's faster than ever to bring ideas to life. A working model cuts through abstract disagreements. An hour meeting could instead be an hour prototype.

Don't be attached to the initial concept. Build a strawperson, invite others to critique it, and use their feedback to spark more meaningful conversations. Don't ask for permission; work quietly until you're ready to reveal. But first, ensure you've convinced yourself. If you believe in what you've built, others will sense that conviction.

You can move mountains with this approach, transforming abstract ideas into concrete realities that people can engage with. When words fail, let your work speak.