Reagan Lopez 🥉

Yes and it's reasonable if you've earned it. Frame it as benefiting the company, like better client perception. Email your manager with specific examples of your senior work.

Start by documenting everything. Track your hours and the actual time tasks take and then present that data when deadlines come up. Use phrases like "Based on past projects, this would typically require X days to ensure quality." That way, it's not personal, it's factual. If your manager keeps agreeing to tight turnarounds, suggest a quick call to clarify scope before committing. Say something like "To meet this deadline, we'd need to cut features A and B - does that work?" It puts the ball back in their court. And always follow up emails with a summary of agreements to cover yourself. In my experience, if this persists, it might be time to look for a place that values realistic planning. Small teams can be great, but not if they're chaotic. Protect your boundaries or burnout is inevitable.

Hey Nixon. In my experience, it's usually smarter to keep job hunting quiet until you have a solid offer in hand, especially in a small startup where things can shift quickly. Your boss might be supportive, but telling them early could lead to subtle changes like getting sidelined from key projects or even a premature push out the door. I've seen it happen where a friend mentioned exploring options and suddenly their workload lightened, which made them feel undervalued right away. That said, if your relationship is truly transparent, waiting until you can discuss it with leverage from an offer might open doors to a counteroffer or at least a graceful exit. Timing is crucial, so line up interviews during off-hours or use personal days without raising flags, and hold off on LinkedIn updates until you're ready to announce. For references, ask colleagues quietly or use past bosses to avoid alerting your current one. A simple script could be starting with appreciation, like 'I've really valued my time here, but I've received an offer elsewhere that aligns better with my goals - can we talk about what that means for us?' I once left a team mid-project by giving ample notice and helping train my replacement, which prevented a total reshuffle and kept bridges intact. If I did it over, I'd document all my processes early to make handover smooth, saving everyone headaches during busy season.

Easy. Call everyone boss or champ and never make eye contact. If their badge flips, just nod like you knew it all along.

The thing that saved me is framing tradeoffs like a custody schedule for work. I say, "To meet Friday, I can deliver A and B by Friday and C by Wednesday, or we move all to Tuesday. Which do you want?" If they insist on all by Friday, I ask what to drop or who they can lend me for help. I write a quick recap so no one forgets what we agreed. When I did not do this, I missed both the deadline and bedtime, so now it is nonnegotiable.