Verdict: guilty, on two charges of Hubris in the 1st degree.

Charge the first: programming hubris.  I should know better by now, but 2 months ago I embarked on a complex refactoring of some serious offline/online synchronization code.  It nearly killed me.  I basically disappeared into a cave, talked to no one, and didn’t come up for air until, 6 weeks and 30k lines of code in, I was exhausted and still struggling to stabilize the new framework.

Finally, my wife (read: sanest person I know) tore my head off, and asked me why I hadn’t asked anyone for help.  Wow.  I went to lunch with a few smart friends, and started talking about what I was up against.  I sat down and wrote out a list of the problems that were plaguing the architecture.  Almost magically, I had a working build 2 days later.

Charge the second: management hubris.  This is one of my great flaws.  I’ve been told I’m a really good people-manager, and I pride myself on being able to inspire, focus, and teach, and I let it get to my head.  Every good manager, I think, occasionally falls into the trap of thinking that they can take a talented but somehow flawed (unmotivated, self-centered, psychotic, distracted, etc.) report and turn them into a superstar.  You convince yourself that all this person has lacked was a caring and attentive overseer who knows how to bring out the best in them.

I’ve made this mistake twice in recent memory, and it never works out for the best.  I can help someone who wants to learn and improve, but nobody can help a person in the wrong career, at the wrong company, or simply in the wrong stage of his/her life.  So I’m looking to hire, and this time, I’m not in the mood for a reclamation project.

As entrepreneurs, I think we’re used to the idea that we can move the whole world with pure force of will.  And usually that’s a good thing, except when it gets in the way of good judgement.  So I’ve resolved to talk more, ask for help earlier, and never relax my high standards for the people who work for and with me.

Oh, and to listen to my wife more.