# Jesse DeMott's Manager Readme

**Software Engineering Team Lead at Alarm.com**

# **Motivation for this Document**

I’m writing this document to set clear expectations, build trust, and help my team understand my approach as a manager. My goal is to make it easier for you to know what I value, how I operate, and what you can expect from me. I want us to create an environment where everyone feels empowered to grow, experiment, and feel fulfilled in their roles. By sharing this, I hope to foster more open communication and a stronger team culture.

# **My Role**

In my role as a Software Engineering Team Lead, my desire is to help each member of my team reach their potential, navigate obstacles, and deliver great features. I’m evaluated based on the success and growth of our team, the quality of our product output, and the impact we make on our organization. I’ll work with you to improve your skills, tackle challenges, and meet our team goals—whether that’s timely deliverables, innovative solutions, or personal and team development goals.

# **What Do I Value Most?**

I highly value teamwork, clear communication, and personal integrity. For me, “helping” means being transparent and proactive—if something isn’t working, I’d rather know sooner than later so we can work through it together. I view conflicts as part of growth, and my approach is to resolve them directly and constructively. I highly value when people I work with are genuine. If you are frustrated about something, let me know. I respect when someone has the courage to communicate what they want. Never hesitate to give me feedback, whether it’s related to a project, my management style, or anything that could improve our work together.

# **Expectations**

## **My Expectations of the Team**

- **Clear Communication:**  Be open and transparent, especially if you encounter obstacles. Let’s avoid last-minute surprises by keeping each other informed.
- **Proactive Problem-Solving:**  If something isn't working or you spot an opportunity for improvement, don’t hesitate to bring it up. We’ll tackle it together.
- **Ownership of Work:**  Take pride in your contributions and take responsibility for your deliverables. Strive for excellence, and remember that true ownership includes knowing when to seek help or collaborate to achieve the best results.
- **Collaboration and Respect:**  Respect each other’s time, ideas, and contributions. We all bring unique skills to the team, and embracing different perspectives will only strengthen our work.
- **Mistakes are Opportunities:**  Mistakes happen. I expect them to be acknowledged openly so we can learn from them and move forward with constructive solutions.

## **What You Should Expect from Me**

- **Support and Guidance:**  I’m here to help you succeed, whether it’s through skill-building, removing blockers, or giving feedback. You can expect me to advocate for your needs and growth.
- **An Open Door:**  I’m approachable, and I welcome questions or ideas at any time. I’m happy to make time for ad-hoc conversations or brainstorming if it helps you in your role.
- **Constructive Feedback:**  My feedback will be honest and focused on growth. I’ll celebrate your wins and give specific guidance on areas where we can improve.
- **Focus on Well-being and Growth:**  I care about your long-term career path and well-being, not just the tasks at hand. Our 1:1s are a safe space for discussing your goals, challenges, or anything else you need.
- **Consistency in Expectations:**  I strive to be consistent in my decisions, goals, and expectations. If things shift, my desire is to communicate changes clearly so everyone’s on the same page.

# **1:1s**

I hold 1:1s with each of you bi-weekly to focus on your growth, career, and overall well-being. This time is for you, so come prepared with any topics you’d like to discuss, and I’ll always have an alternative agenda ready. I see these meetings as an opportunity to support you personally and professionally, not just to talk through project updates.

# **Personality and Interests**

I believe my personality quirks and interests often shape how I approach both work and life. Here’s a bit about me:

## **Personality Quirks:**

- My ADHD diagnosis a few years ago helped me better understand how I operate. I thrive on variety and tend to dive deep into topics I’m passionate about. This can sometimes lead me to lose track of time or jump between ideas quickly—feel free to steer me back if needed!
- I love ideation and exploring creative solutions. My brain is happiest when I am talking through solutions to problems we’re working on, whether at an individual or team level.
- I value clear communication and thrive when working toward defined goals and deadlines. I also appreciate quick reminders if I owe you something—your time is important to me.

## **Personal Interests:**

I tend to be enthusiastic about a lot of different things so I have picks up lots of hobby with varying degrees of success. I always enjoy learning how to do new things and love when I get to create new things.

- **Music:**  I enjoy playing classical and contemporary piano. My wife and I are part of the worship band at our local church, which is one of my greatest joys. I also love experimenting with sound setups for band practice and recording at home.
- **DIY and Tech Projects:**  Whether it’s setting up a sound system, tinkering with home automation, or tackling a DIY project, I enjoy creating and improving things.
- **Cooking:**  I love experimenting in the kitchen, and when things aren't too busy bring in treats for the team from time to time.
- **Games:**   I enjoy a wide variety of video, board, and card games. Lately, I’ve been more into puzzle and strategy games like Sudoku and Chess, but I’m also a big Nintendo fan and play regularly on my Switch.
- **Family Time:**  Above all, I love spending time with my wife and four kids, exploring activities that help us connect and grow together.

# **Knowledge Areas**

When I started out at ADC I primarily worked on the front-end Ember.js site, but since have drifted more into the backend with C# and MSSQL. I tend to enjoy debugging issues more then building new features generally. 

## Feature Areas

- Users / People
  - Enterprise Groups (High Level Data structures)

- Login Permissions
- Login Information
- Two Factor Authentication
- Login Flows
- Customer Emails

## Languages I Work in Most

- SQL  
- C#
- Javascript
- Python
- Markup and Styling (HTML, CSS, XML. etc)