Wes Kao's Newsletter

My top posts [bookmark this]

My most popular posts by category, including on managing up, presenting to leadership, sharing your point of view, and more.

Sep 16 • Wes Kao

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The rise of the end-to-end operator

End-to-end operators have vision, can develop a strategy, and can execute to bring their ideas to life.

Sep 2 • Wes Kao

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August 2026

Turn bugs into features

When you turn bugs into features, the things you thought you were errors, constraints, liabilities about your product, could actually become selling…

Aug 19 • Wes Kao

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Before you delegate, ask yourself these 6 questions

These questions will help your coworkers get set up for success. They're helpful if you are delegating to AI, too.

Aug 5 • Wes Kao

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July 2026

Defensible, but not good

An idea can seem reasonable on the surface, but still not be the right decision. Ask yourself, “This is defensible. But is it good?”

Jul 22 • Wes Kao

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In job interviews, keep your backstory short

Use the STAR method, but avoid backstory scope creep.

Jul 8 • Wes Kao

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June 2026

What being "inspiring" actually means

You are not Viggo Mortensen rallying men to fight Sauron. You are a knowledge worker in tech. Here's what it means to inspire in this context.

Jun 24 • Wes Kao

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[Fundamentals] How to share your point of view (even if you’re afraid of being wrong)

Sharing your point of view is one of the best ways to add value. So why do so many high performers hold back? Here's how to overcome this mental block…

Jun 10 • Wes Kao

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May 2026

EQ is not just about what you say. It’s your body language too.

Understand your "tells," send the right signals, and other ways to reinforce your message.

May 27 • Wes Kao

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What to do if you're not "detail oriented"

For most knowledge workers, being able to produce work that’s error-free most of the time is a prerequisite. Your manager can't always be your safety…

May 13 • Wes Kao

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April 2026

Speak in the affirmative: "Do this" versus "Don't do that"

Speaking in affirmatives is a simple way to reduce cognitive load for your recipient.

Apr 29 • Wes Kao

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[Fundamentals] Signposting: How to reduce cognitive load for your reader

Fundamentals is a new series that highlights my core concepts in communication, leadership, and influence that I personally keep coming back to.

Apr 15 • Wes Kao

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