README.jam
Living documentation of how to work with me, James A Mathias.
I'm a US born, white, cisgender male. My preferred pronouns are he/him.
Guiding Ideals
Learn. Every day should bring our brain banks something new. Learning is at the core of my design practice and life. My days are filled with curious questions, clarifications, and confirmations. I'll never stop asking why.
Share. Sharing is literally caring. When you give away that which you've earned, you give someone else a priceless gift. Helping others learn from your hard work is an amazing way to pay it forward in life. I'm an open book when it comes to what I know and what I don't. Anything I know is yours to keep!
Grow. Typically a freebie if you participate in the above two ideals, but often this is something you must consciously pursue. Personal growth is the whole reason we're on this blue ball man.
Core Principals
Transparency. Transparent behavior gives those around you a clarity that is often hard to maintain, but it is super important to operate in a way that is open and clear.
Empathy. Deep understanding of a problem comes from empathic approaches to the customer and their needs. If we put ourselves in the shoes of others it's much easier to understand their needs.
Curiosity. Never stop asking why. Never. It's as important now as it was when you were five. Why gets to the core faster than any other question can. Why? Why? Why? Keep digging.
Optimism. See the light in others, and assume the best. I prefer to live and work with this in mind, as it naturally guides me to more human centric solutions.
Inclusion. Embrace differences. Open your heart and mind to the cultures, set backs, and triumphs of other folks, and in the end we're all better for it. Exclusion has never led to something better.
Kindness. Treat each other as you'd like to be treated. Kindness it's a gas.
Interactions
I don't hug. It's not you, it's me. I don't feel comfortable embracing co-workers or acquaintances. This typically happens outside work, at conferences, or after-parties. Please don't be offended if I decline your hug.
I do fist bump. I prefer to fist bump as it's less intimate and transfers less germs.
I dislike jargon. Shoot straight with me. Blue-skying a B2B synergy session is a waste of time. I greatly appreciate plain speak, and getting to the point. Jargon is used to mask or deflect.
I dislike forced innovation. Everything we do should be an exploration, and if we land on something that is both best for the customer, and innovative, well yay us! But, it's just as awesome to find the best solution for our customers even if it's a tried and true boring way to do it. Embrace simplicity my friend.
I prefer action. I'm not a meetings guy. They waste time, disrupt deep work, and usually end in scheduling a follow up meeting. Meetings are great for facilitating procrastination. Alternatively I prefer autonomous action. Seek forgiveness, not permission.
I like sharing. I'm big on sharing my thoughts, opinions, and knowledge. Often to detriment. If I begin to derail please let me know. I can talk for-literally-ever.
I dislike secrets. Secrets in the workplace are always bad. Just shoot straight and tell me what we're up against. I'd rather know layoffs are coming than have you "protect" me.
I dislike office politics. It's silly and immature behavior.
Titles are baloney. Experience isn't purely a quantity game. Quality of experience is more important. Bottom line, I don't care what your corporate rank is. If you do great work I want you on the team and at the forefront.
I ❤️ Mondays. I'm the most optimistic and enthusiastic on Mondays. As the week goes on I find myself losing steam in terms of my general disposition. I find Mondays to be a good reset, a fresh start. I like fresh starts.
I dislike compliments. I actively practice checking my ego, and I am not fond of compliments. Telling me I'm good at something doesn't really do anything for me. I can't grow if feedback is all positive. There is always something that can be improved. Help me find that thing and fix it.
I like to think. I prefer to tackle problems more slowly. I like to think things through, really explore, experiment and test. I can produce things quickly if the task requires it, but I vastly prefer being able to approach tasks more thoroughly.
I love to laugh. Humor has always been a part of my life. I love making others laugh and I find a lot of life to be very funny. Laughing keeps you young, and I laugh at myself a lot.
Lunch is hard. I have an eating disorder and I'm a vegan. It's difficult for me to go out to eat socially. I tend to overeat due to anxiety, and finding a restaurant that offers both vegan and non-vegan options is nearly impossible. Quite often normally vegan foods like beans, rice, and veggies are cooked with butter, meat stock or on the same equipment as non-vegan items.
Taboo Subjects
I'm happy to discuss the following topics one on one with the shared goal to learn and grow, but I will never be the conversation starter, and I will not participate in debates, or attempts to convert me to [n].
Religion? Generally speaking my beliefs are based on love and logic.
Politics? I tend to lean towards policies that help generate peace and happiness for the largest group of people possible.
Pronunciation? It's a hard G.
Indentation? Tabs. Don't @ me.
Last update: November 10/2019
This is a README page, I stole the idea directly from Quinn Keast.
