Modern Simple Sabotage: Startup Edition
@mdrnsimplesabotage.bsky.social
An unauthorized sequel to the Office of Strategic Service's Simple Sabotage Field Manual. Updated for the modern era. First target: sabotaging tech startups...
(Icons thanks to icons8)
(Icons thanks to icons8)
To really mess with a company: Shroud performance-based terminations in ambiguity, e.g. citing “needed structural changes”. The less clarity around performance expectations, the more uncertainty and hesitation will spread across the organization.
April 18, 2025 at 1:31 PM
To really mess with a company: Shroud performance-based terminations in ambiguity, e.g. citing “needed structural changes”. The less clarity around performance expectations, the more uncertainty and hesitation will spread across the organization.
It legit sometimes feels like the way to improve your job security as a senior exec is to maximize demands during the job offer negotiation - the more you extract, the more painful it is for the company to let go of you.
April 17, 2025 at 12:30 PM
It legit sometimes feels like the way to improve your job security as a senior exec is to maximize demands during the job offer negotiation - the more you extract, the more painful it is for the company to let go of you.
So many ways for a senior exec to sabotage a company. e.g.: as a senior leader, avoid submitting administrative tasks or status updates promptly. This delay is evidence of your focus on higher-impact priorities, reinforcing the message that you are indispensable and overburdened.
April 16, 2025 at 1:29 PM
So many ways for a senior exec to sabotage a company. e.g.: as a senior leader, avoid submitting administrative tasks or status updates promptly. This delay is evidence of your focus on higher-impact priorities, reinforcing the message that you are indispensable and overburdened.
Another tip for middle managers wanting to sabotage their company: provide opportunities to ask strategy questions at every possible opportunity. Paradoxically, the more frequently you ask if ppl have open-ended strategy questions, the less likely people are to ask
April 15, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Another tip for middle managers wanting to sabotage their company: provide opportunities to ask strategy questions at every possible opportunity. Paradoxically, the more frequently you ask if ppl have open-ended strategy questions, the less likely people are to ask
If you're a middle manager, an easy way to sabotage your team is to demand to review all output from your team before it is shared. This demotivates your team, creates bottlenecks, and provides an excuse for delays - a super-effective tactic!
April 14, 2025 at 12:37 PM
If you're a middle manager, an easy way to sabotage your team is to demand to review all output from your team before it is shared. This demotivates your team, creates bottlenecks, and provides an excuse for delays - a super-effective tactic!
"Strategy" is a great tool to use for sabotage. Regularly ask any senior stakeholder about their strategy, rewording the question over time. Always respond with mild confusion, keeping the conversation going under the guise of seeking clarity. Keep doing this over time.
April 11, 2025 at 2:04 PM
"Strategy" is a great tool to use for sabotage. Regularly ask any senior stakeholder about their strategy, rewording the question over time. Always respond with mild confusion, keeping the conversation going under the guise of seeking clarity. Keep doing this over time.
If tensions arise, claim you feel “gaslit,” even if the justification is weak.
At the time of writing, this term appears to be triggering for managers and is difficult to counter.
At the time of writing, this term appears to be triggering for managers and is difficult to counter.
April 10, 2025 at 2:23 PM
If tensions arise, claim you feel “gaslit,” even if the justification is weak.
At the time of writing, this term appears to be triggering for managers and is difficult to counter.
At the time of writing, this term appears to be triggering for managers and is difficult to counter.
In meetings with your skip-level, ask questions about the company's or your team's strategy. This subtly throws your direct manager under the bus.
April 9, 2025 at 1:28 PM
In meetings with your skip-level, ask questions about the company's or your team's strategy. This subtly throws your direct manager under the bus.
Remember: follow the letter of the career ladder, never the spirit.
April 8, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Remember: follow the letter of the career ladder, never the spirit.
An effective way to sabotage your manager: express, in many contexts, "wanting to know what excellence looks like" and "wanting to make a greater positive impact for the company". Watch them squirm as you try to get answers to these questions over time.
April 7, 2025 at 12:21 PM
An effective way to sabotage your manager: express, in many contexts, "wanting to know what excellence looks like" and "wanting to make a greater positive impact for the company". Watch them squirm as you try to get answers to these questions over time.
A company's per diem budget is always a goal, not merely a limit.
April 4, 2025 at 1:03 PM
A company's per diem budget is always a goal, not merely a limit.
If ever trying to stymie somebody making a request, try invoking a "x or y" (quality vs speed) or "3 pick 2" (quality vs speed vs cost) framework. It'll drive them crazy.
April 3, 2025 at 12:14 PM
If ever trying to stymie somebody making a request, try invoking a "x or y" (quality vs speed) or "3 pick 2" (quality vs speed vs cost) framework. It'll drive them crazy.
Playing games with annual planning, Part 5: If you're in Marketing and being held to a CAC goal, debate endlessly what counts as CAC. There’s no right answer, and the Marketing vs. Finance battle is well-known so no one will fault you.
April 2, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Playing games with annual planning, Part 5: If you're in Marketing and being held to a CAC goal, debate endlessly what counts as CAC. There’s no right answer, and the Marketing vs. Finance battle is well-known so no one will fault you.
Playing games with annual planning, Part 4: Always ask for more budget, especially if you're in marketing. If the company doesn't give it to you, then you have an easy excuse for missing any target. This is true even if the company gives you a lower target for a lower budget.
April 1, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Playing games with annual planning, Part 4: Always ask for more budget, especially if you're in marketing. If the company doesn't give it to you, then you have an easy excuse for missing any target. This is true even if the company gives you a lower target for a lower budget.
Playing games with annual planning, Part 3: Writing a long document explaining, in way too much detail, your plan is the easiest way to filibuster any objection. Nobody's going to read it all.
March 31, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Playing games with annual planning, Part 3: Writing a long document explaining, in way too much detail, your plan is the easiest way to filibuster any objection. Nobody's going to read it all.
Playing games with annual planning, Part 2: Whenever plausible, claim that you need resources from the Data or BI team in order to come up with a solid plan. Those teams are always bottlenecked.
March 28, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Playing games with annual planning, Part 2: Whenever plausible, claim that you need resources from the Data or BI team in order to come up with a solid plan. Those teams are always bottlenecked.
Playing games with annual planning, Part 1: Ask for clarity on KPIs at every level above you. If any level is skipped, call out “misalignment” and insist it’s blocking your planning.
March 27, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Playing games with annual planning, Part 1: Ask for clarity on KPIs at every level above you. If any level is skipped, call out “misalignment” and insist it’s blocking your planning.
A fun, albeit 'kamikaze', strategy to sabotage your company: make yourself a strong “culture carrier" - chime in on public channels, join ERGs (or even run them), get yourself on the company website, publicly praise the company's mission, etc. Then let your performance decline...
March 26, 2025 at 12:53 PM
A fun, albeit 'kamikaze', strategy to sabotage your company: make yourself a strong “culture carrier" - chime in on public channels, join ERGs (or even run them), get yourself on the company website, publicly praise the company's mission, etc. Then let your performance decline...
Gossiping is a powerful tool for sabotaging your company.
The safest place to do it is in 'coffee chats' - up to 2 a day usually doesn't arouse suspicion.
If ever asked, the coffee chat is simply to "strengthen collaboration and relationships across the company".
The safest place to do it is in 'coffee chats' - up to 2 a day usually doesn't arouse suspicion.
If ever asked, the coffee chat is simply to "strengthen collaboration and relationships across the company".
March 25, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Gossiping is a powerful tool for sabotaging your company.
The safest place to do it is in 'coffee chats' - up to 2 a day usually doesn't arouse suspicion.
If ever asked, the coffee chat is simply to "strengthen collaboration and relationships across the company".
The safest place to do it is in 'coffee chats' - up to 2 a day usually doesn't arouse suspicion.
If ever asked, the coffee chat is simply to "strengthen collaboration and relationships across the company".
A fun way to sow doubt among your colleagues: in team or all-hands meetings, ask sharp questions about strategy. Point to a path *not* taken, then highlight dire consequences of ignoring it.
March 24, 2025 at 12:48 PM
A fun way to sow doubt among your colleagues: in team or all-hands meetings, ask sharp questions about strategy. Point to a path *not* taken, then highlight dire consequences of ignoring it.
To sabotage your manager, always ask what it would take to get a promotion. But, always couch it in terms of "wanting to know what excellence looks like" and "wanting to make a greater positive impact for the company". It's an easy way to back them into a corner during reviews.
March 21, 2025 at 1:41 PM
To sabotage your manager, always ask what it would take to get a promotion. But, always couch it in terms of "wanting to know what excellence looks like" and "wanting to make a greater positive impact for the company". It's an easy way to back them into a corner during reviews.
To sabotage the company as an exec, practice layered leadership: Appoint a subordinate leader for each team under you. These people are the scapegoats for underperformance. Maintain a narrative that only you possess the expertise to hire top talent
March 20, 2025 at 1:14 PM
To sabotage the company as an exec, practice layered leadership: Appoint a subordinate leader for each team under you. These people are the scapegoats for underperformance. Maintain a narrative that only you possess the expertise to hire top talent
Ways to weaponize a company's review process, tip 4: If the company does not use a curve, lobby aggressively for its introduction under the guise of fostering a “high-performance culture.” If implemented, watch performance reviews become doubly painful for everyone.
March 19, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Ways to weaponize a company's review process, tip 4: If the company does not use a curve, lobby aggressively for its introduction under the guise of fostering a “high-performance culture.” If implemented, watch performance reviews become doubly painful for everyone.
Ways to weaponize a company's review process, tip 3: If writing a review for someone you dislike, critique a behavioral “vibe”—something subtle and difficult to pin down. Claim it's hard to pinpoint specific examples, but the behavior happens frequently.
March 18, 2025 at 12:37 PM
Ways to weaponize a company's review process, tip 3: If writing a review for someone you dislike, critique a behavioral “vibe”—something subtle and difficult to pin down. Claim it's hard to pinpoint specific examples, but the behavior happens frequently.
Ways to weaponize a company's review process, tip 2: Before each performance cycle, preemptively send your manager a detailed slide deck or document outlining why you deserve a promotion. Do this every cycle, even when it is unreasonable for you to be considered for promotion.
March 17, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Ways to weaponize a company's review process, tip 2: Before each performance cycle, preemptively send your manager a detailed slide deck or document outlining why you deserve a promotion. Do this every cycle, even when it is unreasonable for you to be considered for promotion.