Andrew Bartholomew
@abartholomew.com
Indie consultant to founders and their teams. Amateur photographer and printmaker.
abartholomew.com
abartholomew.com
Imagining the ABC people FUMING about this makes me very happy
November 11, 2025 at 2:05 AM
Imagining the ABC people FUMING about this makes me very happy
My Philly group chat loved this and one member gave you a very high compliment
November 8, 2025 at 2:49 PM
My Philly group chat loved this and one member gave you a very high compliment
This is what happens when you put circus folk in charge of the government.
November 8, 2025 at 1:28 PM
This is what happens when you put circus folk in charge of the government.
Has someone out-pizza’d the hut?
November 4, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Has someone out-pizza’d the hut?
Four trips to the theater with mostly positive results.
October 31, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Four trips to the theater with mostly positive results.
Plus McCain! And from a vibes perspective, an immensely likable group.
October 29, 2025 at 2:35 AM
Plus McCain! And from a vibes perspective, an immensely likable group.
The vibe shift from last year is unreal
October 29, 2025 at 1:44 AM
The vibe shift from last year is unreal
I think that's a great read. Her after-the-fact reaction seemed to be like, "Why'd you have to mess this up SO badly" in a way that suggests partial knowledge.
October 27, 2025 at 6:16 PM
I think that's a great read. Her after-the-fact reaction seemed to be like, "Why'd you have to mess this up SO badly" in a way that suggests partial knowledge.
A followup question that my wife and I disagreed on. Did JB’s wife know the plan in advance? We see her make the canvas cases, and she knows about the petty initial theft. But he didn’t let her see the friends wearing the pantyhose in the basement, and she was so dismissive after it all fell apart.
October 27, 2025 at 4:30 PM
A followup question that my wife and I disagreed on. Did JB’s wife know the plan in advance? We see her make the canvas cases, and she knows about the petty initial theft. But he didn’t let her see the friends wearing the pantyhose in the basement, and she was so dismissive after it all fell apart.
I think the latter. He thinks people are loyal to him and they prove not to be over and over (Larry bails, Ronnie rats, Gaby kicks him out, Terri gives up). JB has terrible theory of mind. I think if he’d asked the professor in advance he would’ve gotten a straightforward No, since the plan is nuts.
October 27, 2025 at 11:18 AM
I think the latter. He thinks people are loyal to him and they prove not to be over and over (Larry bails, Ronnie rats, Gaby kicks him out, Terri gives up). JB has terrible theory of mind. I think if he’d asked the professor in advance he would’ve gotten a straightforward No, since the plan is nuts.
The view in East Hampton
October 18, 2025 at 6:08 PM
The view in East Hampton
Paul Thomas Anderson would know what to do with it (see: Phantom Thread)
October 13, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Paul Thomas Anderson would know what to do with it (see: Phantom Thread)
Excited to read this (and love the cover)
October 8, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Excited to read this (and love the cover)
Having kids requires redesigning some core patterns. Many people fear — or can't pursue — this kind of redesign. It's hard! But kids will be a burden if you don't adapt purposefully.
(I wonder if rising first-time parent age has made this change harder, since these patterns have deepened.)
(I wonder if rising first-time parent age has made this change harder, since these patterns have deepened.)
October 8, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Having kids requires redesigning some core patterns. Many people fear — or can't pursue — this kind of redesign. It's hard! But kids will be a burden if you don't adapt purposefully.
(I wonder if rising first-time parent age has made this change harder, since these patterns have deepened.)
(I wonder if rising first-time parent age has made this change harder, since these patterns have deepened.)
(I thought OBAA was amazing, and felt very “I can’t believe it was written just yesterday,” but am just acknowledging that the current American circumstances are, sadly, not very exceptional historically.)
October 3, 2025 at 4:57 PM
(I thought OBAA was amazing, and felt very “I can’t believe it was written just yesterday,” but am just acknowledging that the current American circumstances are, sadly, not very exceptional historically.)
One hypothesis I have is that art using standard authoritarian imagery feels trenchant now because the US is undergoing a very textbook authoritarian moment, so even common tropes feel immediate. A friend told me when he saw OBAA he thought: This looks just like Argentina when I was a kid!
October 3, 2025 at 4:56 PM
One hypothesis I have is that art using standard authoritarian imagery feels trenchant now because the US is undergoing a very textbook authoritarian moment, so even common tropes feel immediate. A friend told me when he saw OBAA he thought: This looks just like Argentina when I was a kid!
My wife and I collect examples of the Walt’s Special, named after Walt’s Hot Dogs, a roadside stand in Rhode Island. Hot dogs $2 each, soda $1, but Walt’s Special was two hot dogs and a soda for $6. A marketing legend.
September 13, 2025 at 7:36 AM
My wife and I collect examples of the Walt’s Special, named after Walt’s Hot Dogs, a roadside stand in Rhode Island. Hot dogs $2 each, soda $1, but Walt’s Special was two hot dogs and a soda for $6. A marketing legend.
Incredible Eric Adams energy from this guy.
September 13, 2025 at 7:06 AM
Incredible Eric Adams energy from this guy.
Agree with the responses that say for software companies, technical roles (including data) usually use Staff (and above it, Principal) to denote super senior ICs who are compensated like managers. Hope these diagrams can be helpful: www.abartholomew.com/writing/care...
Career Ladders for Startups — Andrew Bartholomew
A brief introduction to career ladders, levels, and cross-organizational consistency. Why you’ll need to build a leveling structure, what it entails, and how to navigate the tradeoffs. For companies f...
www.abartholomew.com
August 15, 2025 at 11:33 PM
Agree with the responses that say for software companies, technical roles (including data) usually use Staff (and above it, Principal) to denote super senior ICs who are compensated like managers. Hope these diagrams can be helpful: www.abartholomew.com/writing/care...
I also wonder to what degree this is downstream of the gender segregation of the internet which has, I think, resulted in men subjecting themselves more to the male gaze in the absence of a female perspective.
August 12, 2025 at 1:15 PM
I also wonder to what degree this is downstream of the gender segregation of the internet which has, I think, resulted in men subjecting themselves more to the male gaze in the absence of a female perspective.