From the pen of Spencer

The paradox of tolerance

I've been chatting with way too many people lately about what I would boil down to tolerance. The thing is, I think we can easily look to history, the microcosms of various businesses, and other countries, as examples, and they all seem to eventually point to the same insight Karl Popper tried to teach us […]

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January is for prioritization

I see January as a time for reflection and redirection. It’s an opportunity to pause, evaluate, and realign both personal and professional goals. Here are a few key questions I ask myself during this period: These questions guide my prioritization. Setting goals is only part of the process—the methods we use to achieve those goals […]

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Corporate Espionage vs. Healthy Competition

Competition is inevitable. It drives innovation, keeps us sharp, and ultimately benefits customers. But what happens when the spirit of competition gives way to deception, sabotage, or unethical practices like corporate espionage? Throughout my career, I’ve witnessed unsettling instances of espionage—employees planted by competitors (yes, really), competitors joining demos under false pretenses, and even one […]

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The Power of Diversity: Building Better Products for Everyone

I've shared before that I believe the systems we create should invite and embrace a diversity of personal identities, ideas, perspectives, and backgrounds. Whether it’s a product, a service, or a process, diversity isn’t just a “nice-to-have”—it’s a critical factor for reducing harm, increasing value, and minimizing risk. So why does diversity matter in product […]

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Empowerment via enablement

There's a critical misconception I'm seeing in a lot of product circles around empowerment. Many leaders and teams struggle to empower their teams and end up experiencing chaos as a byproduct. Here's the thing: empowerment without structure, enablement, guidance, and support can lead to disorganization, misalignment, and frustration. On the other hand, strong enablement, coaching, […]

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We need to stop idolizing billionaires

LinkedIn is rife with posts idolizing Elon Musk, Bezos, Bloomberg, Gates, and Warren Buffett, among other billionaire oligarchs. Success isn’t inherently bad, and yes, some of these figures have made meaningful contributions. But turning them into untouchable icons is dangerous—for us, for society, and for democracy itself. Why is this dangerous? What’s the alternative? Values, […]

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Why are companies quietly abandoning DEI? A call to action

I’ve started hearing from friends and colleagues at other organizations that DEI, or BJEDI as I call it (Belonging, Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion), is quietly disappearing from websites and materials, or toxic employees are feeling emboldened and acting out against marginalized coworkers or customers. In the wake of the 2024 election, some businesses are […]

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Avoiding distracting, shiny objects

In business, it's easy to get distracted by the latest buzzword or shiny object. Lately, AI and Machine Learning have been seen as silver bullets, but blindly chasing trends can do more harm than good. Many companies seem to feel the pressure to jump on the bandwagon, convinced it's part of the secret to remaining […]

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Toward a just world

Friends, In moments when the principles of equality, dignity, and respect are tested, it’s crucial to hold tight to what we know is right. Today, more than ever, I’m reminded of the importance of standing together—defending the values that make our communities strong and safe for everyone. Whether in our workplaces or personal lives, we […]

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Navigating confidence when it’s not safe to fail

“Always know what and how much the other person has been drinking before entering a pissing contest.” – Old proverb A story I heard an interesting story this week about someone who admits to rarely knowing any answer in their field but tells people to leave it with them because they know best and will […]

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