Phil V.

Background

About Phil V.

I've been writing software professionally for over 15 years and I still find it genuinely interesting and motivating work. That's not something I take for granted. I stay close to the technology because I want to — and because I think leaders who understand the work earn a different kind of trust from their teams.What drives me is using technology to solve real business problems. Not delivering low-level features in a vacuum, but understanding what the business actually needs and building toward that. I got my MBA for exactly that reason — I wanted to think at a higher level about how businesses work, how they grow, and how engineering can be a direct contributor to that. I was especially drawn to the marketing side of the curriculum. Understanding how products reach people and create value has stuck with me.The organizational psychology focus came from years of reading and thinking about how great teams actually function — Dan North, Adam Grant, Kent Beck, Lean thinking, TPS. I care deeply about the conditions that allow good work to happen. Small teams. High trust. Clear ownership. Motivated people working on problems that matter.I'm passionate about the work and compassionate toward the people doing it. Great things get built by teams, not individuals — and that means everyone has to be in it together. I'm not a 110% every day kind of leader, and I don't expect that from my teams either. That's not practical or sustainable. Work has its rhythms. People have their moments. What matters is that the collective is moving forward steadily — because steady wins the race.Most of the opportunities in my career have come through relationships — people I've worked with before who wanted to work together again. I think that says more than a resume can.Based outside Chicago. Remote.