# muness's Manager Readme

**Director, Data Engineering at NerdWallet**

# tl;dr

1. **Me in a Nutshell** : I'm [Muness Castle](https://linkedin.com/in/muness) from Columbus, Ohio, with 25+ years in engineering, 10+ focused on Data Engineering and Science.
2. **Passion & Approach** : "Calm Intensity" is my mantra. I listen actively and strive for clarity in goals, focusing on tangible results, teamwork, and support.
3. **Role at NerdWallet** : Leading Data STT, aiming to help you thrive, manage projects, bridge product gaps, and keep a pulse on our challenges.
4. **What I Value** : Your judgement, bold ideas, constructive conversations, feedback, and your autonomy in work.
5. **Expectations** :
  - **From Me** : Flexible planning, a collaborative stance, and sharing knowledge.
  - **From You** : Stay connected, be goal-driven, keep commitments, balance Slack usage, credit teamwork, and embrace & learn from mistakes.

6. **Strengths & Quirks** :
  - **Strengths** : Strategic thinking, connecting across the org, and maintaining discipline.
  - **Quirks** : Direct communication and the occasional overlooking of details. Feedback appreciated!

# Motivation for this README

To tell you a little bit about me so we can have a more productive working relationship! Every person is different, and sharing my motivation, values and quirks will hopefully allow you us to work better together.

# About me

I am [Muness](https://linkedin.com/in/muness) Castle yes, like the actual castle—there's a story there; don't hesitate to ask.

I live in Columbus, Ohio with my wife and 4 kids (two more already left the nest). I love to read, run, ruck, hike. Before starting at NerdWallet I took a week-long [class](https://www.nols.edu/en/) in Wind River Peak on backpacking in the backcountry.

~20 years into building apps, I realized that my passion was in helping people achieve their goals. That led me to focus on Data Engineering and Data Science (which I've done over the last 10 years). NerdWallet's vision and the incredible folks I've met make me super excited to here. I look forward to serving you and harnessing data as a superpower to benefit our customers and fellow Nerds

One trait I bring to the table is "calm intensity." In essence, I’m all about listening intently before acting and continuously re-evaluating our goals, while maintaining a relentless focus on results and supporting those around us.

You can learn about me on  [muness.com](https://muness.com/). Do check out the blog.

## My Role at NerdWallet

1. **Single-threaded Leader** : Overseeing our Data STT, my main task is to understand and boost the value we offer to our customers.
2. **People Manager** : My aim? Helping you flourish. It's all about understanding what makes you tick and setting you up for success.
3. **Project Manager** : Big organization, many moving parts. I’m here to help unblock hurdles and ensure we’re on the right path. Keep me in the loop!
4. **Product Manager** : My goal is to bridge gaps, understanding how our data is utilized and which improvements are top-tier.
5. **Engineer** : While hands-on coding isn't my daily grind, I keep a keen eye on our challenges and the real-world scenarios we face.

## My Growth Goals

- **Discovering NerdWallet** : From our customers to our unique culture, I'm on a mission to grasp all things NerdWallet.
- **Advocacy** : We can’t thrive solo. I’m honing my skills in articulating our needs and ensuring we have the tools and support to succeed.

## What I Value

- **Your Judgement** : Got an idea you believe in? Champion it.
- **Bold Innovations** : Found a potential game-changer? Let's test it out.
- **Constructive Conflict** : Our diverse experiences make for rich conversations. Let’s harness that.
- **Feedback** : It’s our way of crafting the kind of space we all thrive in.
- **Autonomy** : Owning your work leads to sharper decisions and outcomes.

## Expectations - The Two-Way Street

What You Can Expect of Me:

- **Ownership And Relentless Self-Improvement** : Expect me to own my responsibilities fully and seek constant growth. I will provide support and guidance for you to do the same.
- **Informed Risk-Taking** : I will promote flexibility in our planning to adapt to our dynamic environment and encourage you to take calculated risks when opportunities arise. Specifically expect Quarterly planning to become about sharing a snapshot of our priorities with the rest of NerdWallet. Outcomes will roll in and out as we learn and prove/disprove value.
- **Open, Candid & Constructive** : I will lead by example in fostering transparent and inclusive communication. I am open to your insights and feedback at all times. I'll keep creating forums and opportunities for you to share feedback, ask questions and raise concerns.
- **Consumer Company Team Self** : I will focus on practicality and effectiveness, valuing what works and delivering results over adherence to plans.
- **Swift Decision-Making & Support** : Expect me to be accessible and responsive, ensuring that we make decisions swiftly and provide the necessary support for any escalations.

In return, I expect the following from you:

- **Ownership And Open, Candid & Constructive Communication** : Be proactive in your role, communicate openly, and provide feedback. Suggest changes to plans to get us to the outcome we're seeking better or more quickly.
- **Informed Risk-Taking** : Embrace a balance between principled thinking and practical actions. Be open to adjusting methods and encourage others to be adaptable.
- **Prompt Communication for Faster Progress** : Initiate conversations on important topics or blockers as they arise. Escalate quickly after talking with your rubber duck and close peers. This openness will help us to advance more quickly on our projects. or problems we see.
- **Relentless Self-Improvement** : View setbacks as learning opportunities and continuously seek to better yourself and our collective processes. Develop ways to learn more, faster.

What You Can Expect of Me:

- **Adaptable Plans** : No plan is set in stone. It’s the act of planning, focusing on objectives and understanding their significance, that truly matters.
- **Collaborative Approach** : I won’t drop top-down orders. I'll lay out the strategy and impact, but I count on you to bring stakeholder insights to the table and speak up if things seem off-kilter.
- **Sharing Knowledge** : If I learn something vital, you'll hear about it. Knowledge hoarded is knowledge wasted.

What I Hope For From You:

- **Keep Me in the Loop** : Need help or hit a snag? Let’s tackle it together.
- **Be Goal-Oriented** : Share your objectives and let’s brainstorm ways to get there.
- **Honor Your Commitments** : If plans change, give a heads-up.
- **Stay Balanced** : Slack isn’t your master. Keep your calendar updated, and remember, it's okay to hit pause on notifications and close it. Do reply to Slack and Email messages within a business day.
- **Celebrate Team Efforts** : Give credit where it’s due.
- **Embrace Mistakes** : They happen. What matters is what we learn from them.

## My Strengths and Quirks

Strengths:

- **Strategic Vision** : Distilling what to pursue and what to put on the back-burner.
- **Building Bridges** : I thrive on connecting with others across the org to solve collective challenges.
- **Disciplined Approach** : I use tools like checklists and clear agendas to stay on track.

Quirks:

- **Blunt Moments** : In my drive to be clear and efficient, I might come off as too direct. It's never personal.
- **Occasional Chaos** : My energy can sometimes lead to me overlooking finer details. Case in point? My often messy room on our calls.

If you notice these, please point them out. I value the feedback.

### Calm Intensity: My Guiding Principle

"Calm Intensity." It might sound paradoxical, but it encapsulates my professional approach.

#### Calm

- **Listening Before Acting** : I believe in understanding a situation in its entirety before making decisions. This means giving everyone a voice, absorbing information, and weighing options carefully.
- **Adaptive Vision** : In a world that's ever-evolving, I strive to continuously reassess our goals and approaches. Are they still valid? Are they still worth our time and effort? This adaptive mindset ensures we're always aligned with what's truly important.
- **Steadiness Amidst Chaos** : No matter how turbulent or challenging a situation might become, maintaining a calm demeanor is crucial. It provides clarity, instills confidence, and ensures that we navigate complexities effectively.

#### Intensity

- **Deep-rooted Passion** : I deeply care about our customers, our outcomes, our team, and our individual well-being. This passion fuels my drive and motivates me to push boundaries.
- **Challenging with Care** : I believe in challenging each one of us to achieve more. But it's not about setting unrealistic expectations; it's about believing in our potential and supporting one another in our pursuits.
- **Result-Oriented Focus** : While the journey is important, delivering results and creating tangible impacts are paramount. This intense focus ensures we don’t lose sight of our end goals.
- **No Room for Blame** : Mistakes happen. Instead of pointing fingers, our focus should be on understanding, learning, and growing from them.

In marrying these two concepts, "Calm Intensity" serves as a beacon for how I aspire to lead and interact. It's about forging ahead with determination while ensuring that our approach is thoughtful and well-considered. Together, leveraging the best of calmness and intensity, we're set up to achieve great things.

## 1:1s and Skip Levels

These meetings are yours. Share your goals and let me know how I can support you. Let’s skip the status checks during 1:1s; we’ve got other platforms for those. To make the most of our time:

- Share your topics in advance in our 1:1s Google Doc.
- Categorize them: e.g., "Follow up", "Heads up", "Feedback", "Help Request".
- Prioritize, and don't shy away from the tough stuff.
- Think about whether a topic might be better suited for a team discussion.  

Let’s skip the status checks during 1:1s; we’ve got other platforms for those.

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I hope this gives you a clearer picture of who I am and how we can work best together. Let’s embrace our collective "calm intensity" and make things happen! 💼🚀