Working with Johannes Naylor
Want to work together? Grab time on my calendar and let's get into it.
Core Values
What are the values that drive you?
- Constant learning and growth
- Empathy and respect
- Creativity
- Joy with grit
- Integrity and doing the right thing even when it's hard
What do you value in professional relationships?
- Clear communication
- Open to healthy conflict
- Bias towards action
- Aligned incentives
- Genuine care for the other person
- Pushing me to be better
Work Style
How do you like to work?
Before lunch and after dinner are my lock-in times. Midday is prime time for calls and collaboration.
Are you a planner or do you prefer flexibility?
Deadlines create focus. Without them, people get busy but not productive.
How do you approach problem-solving?
Chess wisdom: "When you see a good move, look for a better one." I iterate on solutions, scanning for creative angles until I'm satisfied or hit the timebox.
What's your ideal work environment?
Dynamic settings keep me engaged. I need variety to avoid getting bored and distracted.
Communication Preferences
How do you prefer to communicate?
- Slack for most things
- Use public channels by default
- DMs reserved for non-work notes
- Loom instead of meetings when it's a walkthrough
- Call or text if something is urgent
- In-person for 1:1s
What is your typical response time?
Generally within an hour unless I'm heads-down or away from my phone.
How often do you like to check in?
Casual syncs every two weeks keep us aligned. When things are critical, let's increase the cadence even so far as doing daily checkins the last week or two between big releases. In general you can't communicate too much.
Do you prefer written or verbal communication?
Written is best for retention. Looms or meetings help for introductions and nuance you can't capture in docs.
Feedback
How do you prefer to receive feedback?
Be blunt just don't be rude. I can be an idiot so blunt feedback is much appreciated but if feedback comes with disrespect, I'll default to spite and that helps no one.
How often do you like feedback?
As often as needed. After big deliverables, I like sitting with the team to talk through what worked and how we can smooth things out next time.
What's your approach to giving feedback?
- Direct 1:1 conversations
- Blameless retro-style discussions
- If someone is struggling, the whole team is accountable for supporting them. It's nobody's fault because it's everyone's responsibility
Optimal Performance
What conditions help you perform your best?
Being around friends is distracting, so I gravitate toward diverse environments and even working around strangers to stay focused. BUT if it's crunch time then I'd prefer the whole team together in one room hackathon-style.
Are you a morning person or night owl?
Both? My most productive blocks are before lunch and after dinner, and I try to stay offline then to keep momentum.
How do you recharge?
Long walks reset my brain. An hour walk can save days of spinning, and short walks between tasks make context switching easier.
What support do you need from colleagues?
- Clear documentation
- Directional clarity
- A healthy, communicative team culture
Want to collaborate? Grab time on my calendar and let's get into it.