Project Management

Last week, I described four design patterns for AI agentic workflows that I believe will drive significant progress: Reflection, Tool use, Planning and Multi-agent collaboration. Instead of having an LLM generate its final output directly, an agentic workflow prompts the LLM multiple times, giving it opportunities to build step by step to higher-quality output. Here, I'd like to discuss Reflection. It's relatively quick to implement, and I've seen it lead to surprising performance gains. You may have had the experience of prompting ChatGPT/Claude/Gemini, receiving unsatisfactory output, delivering critical feedback to help the LLM improve its response, and then getting a better response. What if you automate the step of delivering critical feedback, so the model automatically criticizes its own output and improves its response? This is the crux of Reflection. Take the task of asking an LLM to write code. We can prompt it to generate the desired code directly to carry out some task X. Then, we can prompt it to reflect on its own output, perhaps as follows: Here’s code intended for task X: [previously generated code] Check the code carefully for correctness, style, and efficiency, and give constructive criticism for how to improve it. Sometimes this causes the LLM to spot problems and come up with constructive suggestions. Next, we can prompt the LLM with context including (i) the previously generated code and (ii) the constructive feedback, and ask it to use the feedback to rewrite the code. This can lead to a better response. Repeating the criticism/rewrite process might yield further improvements. This self-reflection process allows the LLM to spot gaps and improve its output on a variety of tasks including producing code, writing text, and answering questions. And we can go beyond self-reflection by giving the LLM tools that help evaluate its output; for example, running its code through a few unit tests to check whether it generates correct results on test cases or searching the web to double-check text output. Then it can reflect on any errors it found and come up with ideas for improvement. Further, we can implement Reflection using a multi-agent framework. I've found it convenient to create two agents, one prompted to generate good outputs and the other prompted to give constructive criticism of the first agent's output. The resulting discussion between the two agents leads to improved responses. Reflection is a relatively basic type of agentic workflow, but I've been delighted by how much it improved my applications’ results. If you’re interested in learning more about reflection, I recommend: - Self-Refine: Iterative Refinement with Self-Feedback, by Madaan et al. (2023) - Reflexion: Language Agents with Verbal Reinforcement Learning, by Shinn et al. (2023) - CRITIC: Large Language Models Can Self-Correct with Tool-Interactive Critiquing, by Gou et al. (2024) [Original text: https://lnkd.in/g4bTuWtU ]

Have I mentioned we are data geeks?🤓🤓 Performance uncertainty remains one of the biggest barriers to wider uptake of #energy #efficiency technologies.💡 #Wind-assisted propulsion,💨 air-lubrication systems🫧 and other proven #retrofits can cut fuel use by double-digit percentages.📉 But real-world savings swing with weather, routing and operations. Without clarity on a retrofit’s actual contribution, neither shipowners nor charterers can forecast returns with confidence.🤷🏻♀️ And because we’ve always believed that #data📊 can give us the clearest truth, we set out to address this challenge.👊🏻 Our friends at Eastern Pacific Shipping Pte. Ltd. gave us access to the Pacific Sentinel, on which we installed a high-frequency data acquisition system as three suction #sails⛵️ were retrofitted onboard the MR tanker in March 2025. Calibrated sensors captured #power consumption, vessel speed, engine load, heading and wind conditions every 15 seconds. Over four months as the vessel traded spot around the Americas,🌎 we saw #weather and #performance at a fidelity far beyond the single daily datapoint in a noon report. Building on #ITTC and DNV methodologies, Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) and EPS implemented an “on-off’’ testing protocol,🎛️ comparing power consumption with the sails activated and deactivated under otherwise similar environmental and operational conditions to isolate the sails’ true contribution. Under the predominantly near-headwind conditions sampled, the vessel saw an average instantaneous power savings⚡️ of 7.2%, with a 95% confidence interval between 6.2% and 8.2%. Instantaneous savings ranged from +28% to –14%. These rare outliers highlight just how sensitive power savings are to wind speed and direction, and underscore the importance of tracking dynamic operational data.⚠️ Access report here:  https://lnkd.in/g_dRFtJp If we want to scale energy-efficiency retrofits, we must tackle performance uncertainty head-on. Shipowners won’t invest, and charterers won’t commit, if they can’t trust that the #savings will show up in their fuel bills.💵 We therefore developed a power savings polar heat map to predict energy and fuel savings with wind conditions. With 3rd-party verification, this will enable performance-linked financing of the retrofits.💰 This case study is but a first step in building that validation layer. And it ladders🪜 up to what we launched last week: #FEET — the world’s first blended-finance fund designed to support energy-efficiency retrofits through a pay-as-you-save repayment structure. Progress is incremental, and this marks a big step in the right direction.👊🏻 Together, we are stronger; together, we can💪🏻 Shane Balani, Zheng Yang Cheng 钟正扬, Bhushan Taskar, Goh Wan Ni, Pavlos Karagiannidis, Mirtcho Spassov, CFA, Mike Wilson, Rashim Berry, Cyril Ducau

Most people are taught how to be high performers. But too few are taught how to perform in a team. And that’s a problem, because in most roles, you’re not an individual contributor. You’re part of a larger entity, working with others to build something. Yet, I see founders spend hours refining their product or systems,  But don't devote time to team development. At HomeServe, I approached team performance with purpose,  And it was one of the best decisions I made. Here are 7 tools I’ve used (and still use) to build high-performing teams,  Based on real lessons from building a £4.1bn business: 1️⃣ Start With Why (Simon Sinek) ↳ Before you focus on what or how...get clear on why. WHAT – The product you sell or the service you provide HOW – What makes you different WHY – Your deeper purpose or belief Every great team needs a reason to get out of bed in the morning. 2️⃣ The 70-20-10 Rule (McCall, Lombardo & Eichinger) ↳ How people actually learn on the job: 70% from challenging experiences 20% from coaching and mentoring 10% from formal training Most teams over-invest in training, and under-invest in real development. I'm amazed at how few founders or CEOs have a coach or mentor. 3️⃣ The Trust Triangle (Frances Frei, Harvard) ↳ Trust isn’t built with perks. It’s earned in three ways: Authenticity – Are you real? Logic – Do your decisions make sense? Empathy – Do you care? Without trust, you can’t build speed or loyalty. 4️⃣ The 5 Stages of Team Development (Tuckman Model) 1. Forming – Team gets together 2. Storming – Conflicts surface 3. Norming – Ground rules form 4. Performing – Results roll in 5. Adjourning – Project ends or evolves Don't panic during ‘storming’. It’s necessary friction. 5️⃣ The Johari Window (Luft & Ingham) ↳ Self-awareness is a team sport. Open – You know, they know Hidden – You know, they don’t Blind Spot – They know, you don’t Unknown – No one knows (yet) This helps surface feedback, build confidence, and avoid surprises. 6️⃣ The Energy/Impact Matrix (Inspired by McKinsey) ↳ Map every team member’s impact vs. energy. Use it to: Make smart hiring/firing decisions Spot burnout early Retain high performers High-performing teams don’t tolerate drift. 7️⃣ The RAPID Decision-Making Model (Bain & Company) ↳ High-performing teams make fast, clear decisions. Recommend – Suggest the course of action Agree – Those who must sign off Perform – Executes the decision Input – Provides relevant facts or opinions Decide – Final decision-maker This clears up delays, dropped balls, and blame. Building a great team is about building an environment where talent can actually thrive. I go deeper into team-building in my new book. Order it today: https://lnkd.in/eRYDKXdT ♻️ Repost if you believe team performance should be built, not assumed. And for more on how I scaled teams to build a £4.1bn business, Follow me Richard Harpin.

My team and I once tried to hand-wave our way past Jeff Bezos with a large headcount request. He asked one question, was disappointed by the answer, and dug deeper. After a weak answer to question two, it was game over. Jeff declared that he trusted NONE of our proposal and sent us back, telling us, "Break down your requests to no more than 2 or 3 heads, tops, per line item. Then explain exactly what these small buckets will do." Once we did this, he went through the request line by line, telling us what we could and could not have. Overall, it was probably the most brutal experience I had with him in my 15 years at Amazon. While some people will read this and feel it was micromanagement, he was entirely right. We thought we had a blank check, so we made a big, broad funding request. We learned very quickly that while Jeff supported our mission, he expected us to spend "his" money carefully. Most people think executive influence happens in the room, by talking slick or having the right alliances. While communication and connections are hugely important, most of your influence is built before the meeting starts. Getting executive buy-in comes from understanding your executives, anticipating their concerns, and structuring your message around what they value. Here are two quick specifics: 1. Preparation If you walk into a key stakeholder meeting without preparing, like I did, you’ve already lost. The first step in preparation is clarity: What are you trying to achieve, by when, and why now? Then, define exactly what you’re asking for: a decision, resources, or permission to move forward. Finally, decode the humans. What does each stakeholder care about? What do they fear? How do they make decisions? Build your case in their language and plan your approach with intention. 2. Focus on Facts Executives are moved by accurate, outcome-driven facts. Shortly after this disastrous headcount audit, I was asked to lead the global expansion of the Kindle Appstore. This required taking 55 engineers away from other executive leaders to staff our rush effort. Our team won support by anchoring on three facts: (1) Kindle’s success in the U.S. was undeniable (2) The holiday deadline couldn’t move (3) Leadership had already approved a one-year draft to make it happen. Those facts aligned perfectly with what executives valued most: growth, timing, and company priority. If you master these skills, you’ll earn trust and support from senior leaders. In large organizations, this translates to success in your projects and success in your career. I've written a much more in depth Newsletter that covers these skills and more: https://lnkd.in/geEBPazP When have you either fallen into hand-waving or had to call your team on it?

Should you try Google’s famous “20% time” experiment to encourage innovation? We tried this at Duolingo years ago. It didn’t work. It wasn’t enough time for people to start meaningful projects, and very few people took advantage of it because the framework was pretty vague. I knew there had to be other ways to drive innovation at the company. So, here are 3 other initiatives we’ve tried, what we’ve learned from each, and what we're going to try next. 💡 Innovation Awards: Annual recognition for those who move the needle with boundary-pushing projects. The upside: These awards make our commitment to innovation clear, and offer a well-deserved incentive to those who have done remarkable work. The downside: It’s given to individuals, but we want to incentivize team work. What’s more, it’s not necessarily a framework for coming up with the next big thing. 💻 Hackathon: This is a good framework, and lots of companies do it. Everyone (not just engineers) can take two days to collaborate on and present anything that excites them, as long as it advances our mission or addresses a key business need. The upside: Some of our biggest features grew out of hackathon projects, from the Duolingo English Test (born at our first hackathon in 2013) to our avatar builder. The downside: Other than the time/resource constraint, projects rarely align with our current priorities. The ones that take off hit the elusive combo of right time + a problem that no other team could tackle. 💥 Special Projects: Knowing that ideal equation, we started a new program for fostering innovation, playfully dubbed DARPA (Duolingo Advanced Research Project Agency). The idea: anyone can pitch an idea at any time. If they get consensus on it and if it’s not in the purview of another team, a cross-functional group is formed to bring the project to fruition. The most creative work tends to happen when a problem is not in the clear purview of a particular team; this program creates a path for bringing these kinds of interdisciplinary ideas to life. Our Duo and Lily mascot suits (featured often on our social accounts) came from this, as did our Duo plushie and the merch store. (And if this photo doesn't show why we needed to innovate for new suits, I don't know what will!) The biggest challenge: figuring out how to transition ownership of a successful project after the strike team’s work is done. 👀 What’s next? We’re working on a program that proactively identifies big picture, unassigned problems that we haven’t figured out yet and then incentivizes people to create proposals for solving them. How that will work is still to be determined, but we know there is a lot of fertile ground for it to take root. How does your company create an environment of creativity that encourages true innovation? I'm interested to hear what's worked for you, so please feel free to share in the comments! #duolingo #innovation #hackathon #creativity #bigideas

Make your budget process smoother! Use my checklist based on my 15 years of experience. 🔗 Download it here: https://lnkd.in/edvf5exs Here is what is inside: 1️⃣ Preparation & Planning 🔲 Understand management's expectations concerning growth, strategy & profitability 🔲 Set clear financial goals and differentiate between short and long-term objectives 🔲 Establish a structured approach for managing the budget process (deadlines, owners) 🔲 Ensure that budgeting activities align with the organization’s overarching goals and priorities Tip: you can use ChatGPT to draft your budget instructions or budget memo. If you want to learn how to use ChatGPT for Finance, you can learn it here: https://lnkd.in/e8RGdYsK 2️⃣ Sales Planning 🔲 Choose an appropriate method for sales planning 🔲 Detail your budget sufficiently for effective analysis 🔲 Consider external factors like market trends, economic conditions impacting the business 🔲 Ensure accurate phasing of the sales plan 🔲 Conduct 'what-if' analysis to understand impacts on resources and profitability 3️⃣ Operational & Resource Planning 🔲 Plan for production, delivery, and workload 🔲 Account for direct headcounts & determine capacity 🔲 Determine material needs and plan for necessary investments 🔲 Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop a comprehensive operational plan 4️⃣ Costing & Overhead Planning 🔲 Compute standard costs: direct labor, material costs, and manufacturing overhead allocation 🔲 Budget for individual departments and allocate overhead costs accordingly 5️⃣ Financial Statements & Reporting 🔲 Translate the budget into key financial statements: Income Statement, Balance Sheet, & Cash Flow 🔲 Establish a structured reporting process to communicate budget-related information to stakeholders 🔲 Create a visual budget performance dashboard to quickly assess the financial performance 6️⃣ Monitoring & Analysis 🔲 Regularly monitor and analyze budget variances to identify deviations 🔲 Perform sensitivity analysis to understand potential impacts on the budget 🔲 Leverage financial data analysis tools to identify trends, patterns, and opportunities for improvement 7️⃣ Communication & Collaboration 🔲 Foster open communication and shared financial goals in relationships, both internally and externally 🔲 Engage with stakeholders from different departments to gather valuable insights 🔲 Develop and communicate clear budgeting policies and procedures 8️⃣ Final Review & Implementation 🔲 Review the budget for any inconsistencies or errors 🔲 Communicate the finalized budget to all relevant departments and ensure its implementation 👉 Did I miss anything? Get this checklist to organize your budget process. Link below in comments.

I caught up with a friend who works at a mid-size Swedish tech company. Over the last 4 months, their shipping velocity has almost doubled – not because they hired more engineers, adopted some new agile framework, or worked late nights. It came down to a single change in how they build products: they started using Lovable to prototype features instead of writing traditional spec docs. Before Lovable, it usually went like this: PMs drafted long PRDs, trying to anticipate every detail. Multiple stakeholders reviewed these documents, leaving comments and raising concerns. The document grew with each iteration. Alignment meetings were frequent but often resulting in ambiguity. Engineers often began implementation while details were still debated. Inevitably, confusion emerged about trade-offs, timelines got pushed, and features shipped incomplete or scaled back. Now, PMs build interactive prototypes directly in Lovable. These aren’t wireframes or rough mockups – they’re fully clickable, end-to-end experiences that feel like the real product. Engineers don’t have to guess what the flow should be. Designers don’t have to explain interactions. Everyone sees the same thing, from day one. The end result is fewer meetings, fewer misunderstandings, fewer rewrites. What used to take weeks of coordination now happens in a single day. This is what has provided the most value for enterprises using Lovable so far. Over time, the increase of clarity and velocity saves the companies millions of $ in wasted effort.

Stuck in an endless loop of client changes? Lost track of what revision this constitutes? Yeah. Been there. Done that. The secret? It's not about saying no. It's about saying yes to the right things upfront. Every project that goes sideways starts the same way: Vague agreements. Fuzzy boundaries. Good intentions. Six weeks later you're bleeding money and everyone's frustrated. Here's my framework after 30 years of running two 8-figure businesses: The SOW is your salvation. Not some boilerplate template. A real document that covers: • Exact deliverables (not "design work" but "3 homepage concepts, 2 rounds of revisions") • Hours of operation ("We respond M-F, 9-5 PST. Weekend requests get Monday responses") • Revision rounds spelled out ("Round 1 includes up to 5 changes. Round 2 includes 3.") • Feedback cycles defined ("48-hour turnaround for client feedback or the project may be delayed or additional fees may be incurred") But here's what most people miss— Don't work on client notes immediately. Client sends 37 pieces of feedback at 11pm Friday? Producer sends conflicting notes from the CEO? Marketing wants one thing, sales wants another? Stop. Collect everything first. Resolve the conflicts. Get on the phone and discuss it with your client to get alignment. Separate the "have to haves" from the "nice to haves". Then present unified changes. "Based on all feedback received, here are the 8 changes we'll implement. This constitutes revision round 2 of 3." Watch how fast the random requests stop. No extra work that goes unappreciated. No more feelings of being taken advantage of. Communicate before the crisis, prevents the crisis from happening. "Just so you know, we're entering round 2. You have one more included. After that, it's $X per additional round." No surprises. No awkward money conversations. No resentment. Scope creep isn't a them problem. It's a you problem. And that's good news, because that means you are in control. They're not trying to take advantage. They just don't know where the boundaries are because you never drew them. Draw the lines early. Communicate them clearly. Everyone wins. What's your most painful scope creep story? What boundary would've prevented it? Small Business Builders #projectmanagement #clientmanagement #businessgrowth

Reflecting on Agile Development with DevOps 2.0: A Flexible CI/CD Flow Last year, I shared a CI/CD process flow for Agile Development with DevOps 2.0, and it’s been amazing to see how much it resonated with the community! This framework isn’t about specific tools—it’s about creating a seamless, collaborative process that supports quality and agility at every step. ✅ 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻: Building a Strong Foundation with Clear Alignment The journey begins with planning—whether it's user stories, tasks, or broader product goals. Tools like JIRA or Asana (or any project management platform) help capture requirements and align the team with the Product Owner’s vision. This early alignment is essential to avoid misunderstandings and establish a shared understanding of success. Key Insight: Planning thoroughly and involving stakeholders from the start leads to a smoother process. When everyone’s on the same page, the entire pipeline benefits. ✅ 𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗲: Collaborative Development and Real-Time Feedback In the coding phase, developers work together, often pushing code to a version control platform like GitHub or Bitbucket and communicating via real-time collaboration tools like Slack or Teams. Open communication and continuous feedback help catch issues early and keep the team in sync. Key Insight: Real-time feedback is crucial for speed and quality. Regardless of the tools, creating a culture of continuous collaboration makes all the difference. ✅ 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱: Automating Quality and Security Checks As code is committed, it’s essential to automate quality and security checks. Tools like Jenkins, CircleCI, or any CI/CD platform can trigger builds and run automated tests, ensuring that quality checks are consistent and fast. This step helps prevent issues from creeping into production. Key Insight: Automated checks for quality and security are invaluable. Integrating these checks into the build process improves confidence in every deployment. ✅ 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁: Structured, Multi-Environment Testing Testing is layered across environments—whether it’s regression, unit, or user acceptance testing (UAT). Using frameworks like Selenium for automated testing or dedicated QA/UAT environments enables rigorous validation before production. Key Insight: Testing across environments is a safeguard for quality. Structured testing helps ensure that code is reliable and ready for release. ✅ 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲: Scalable, Reliable Deployments with Infrastructure as Code (IAC) Finally, using Infrastructure as Code (IAC) principles with tools like Terraform, Ansible, or other IAC solutions, deployments are made repeatable and scalable. IAC empowers teams to manage infrastructure more efficiently, ensuring consistent and controlled releases. Thank you to everyone who has engaged with this diagram and shared your insights! I’d love to hear how others approach CI/CD. Are there any tools or strategies that have worked well for you?

We can perform robotic surgery. But we still schedule patients via fax. That gap — between clinical brilliance and operational antiquity — is costing healthcare systems billions, burning out nurses, and making patients wait longer than they should. In my latest episode of The Chief Healthcare Officer Podcast, I sat down with Mohan Giridharadas — founder & CEO of LeanTaaS and author of Better Healthcare Through Math — and what he shared genuinely shifted my thinking. Here's the uncomfortable truth he laid out: 🔴 EHRs digitized paper. They did NOT solve operations. 🔴 Hospital "chaos" isn't random — it's a scheduling problem we keep ignoring. 🔴 Nurses spend 30–40% of their time on tasks that math could handle. And here's what the solution actually looks like: ✅ Level Loading — spreading patient flow to eliminate peak bottlenecks (think: fixing the traffic jam before it starts) ✅ Predictive Intelligence — identifying a bed shortage hours before it happens, not reacting after the fact ✅ AI as Amplifier — not replacing staff, but freeing them to work at the top of their license The result? Shorter wait times. More capacity — without building new walls. And healthcare professionals who actually have time to care. One line from Mohan stuck with me: "Fix the potholes before the car gets there." That's what intelligent orchestration looks like in healthcare. And we already have the math to do it. If you lead a hospital, health system, or healthcare innovation team — this conversation is for you. 🎙️ New episode is live now — link in comments. #HealthcareLeadership #HealthcareInnovation #AIinHealthcare #HospitalOperations #ChiefHealthcareOfficer #LeanTaaS #HealthcareManagement #PatientCare #DigitalHealth #HealthTech