• 4 min read
• December 08, 2025

This is a living document designed to help us work together more effectively.

About Me

I'm Simon Korzun, an engineering leader with 15+ years building teams and systems at scale. I've had the privilege of working across diverse industries - from education to real estate, from pizza marketplaces to media companies, and most recently in music technology. This breadth gives me a unique perspective that I bring to every challenge.

When I'm not working, you'll find me on really long bike rides, diving into a good book, exploring maps, or gaming. I live in Upstate New York with my wife, and our two cats.

My Leadership Philosophy

Core Beliefs

• Teams > Individuals: The best work happens when we operate as a cohesive unit, not as a collection of individual contributors
• Psychological Safety is Non-Negotiable: You cannot do your best work if you're afraid to speak up, make mistakes, or be yourself
• Eliminate Surprises: My job is to reduce ambiguity and set clear expectations, we get enough surprises from the business side
• Support from Below: I view organizations as inverted pyramids where leadership exists to support those doing the work, not the other way around

What I Value Most

• Ownership: Taking initiative without waiting to be asked, understanding how your work supports team goals, and prioritizing team wins over personal ones
• Transparency: Being clear about what's happening, why decisions are made, and what we're working toward
• Growth Mindset: Viewing challenges as opportunities to learn, not threats to avoid
• Bias Toward Action: Progress beats perfection. When something is unclear, take a small step and iterate

How I Lead

My Style

I lead through three sequential modes:

1. Visioning: Setting clear direction and outcomes
2. Demonstrating: Showing what good looks like through action
3. Stewarding: Supporting and guiding sustained progress

What You Can Expect From Me

• Context, Not Control: I'll give you the why behind our work and trust you to figure out the how
• Regular 1:1s: These are your meetings; bring topics that matter to you
• Transparent Decision-Making: I'll explain my reasoning, especially when decisions are difficult
• Investment in Your Growth: I'll work to align your interests and talents with business outcomes
• Psychological Safety: I'll create an environment where you can take risks, make mistakes, and learn (I'm mentioning it again; it's important)

What I Expect From You

• Manage Up: Tell me what you need to be successful, I can't read minds
• Communicate Clearly: Make your work and impact visible
• Bring Solutions, Not Just Problems: When you identify an issue, come with options or approaches
• Ask Questions: If something doesn't make sense, speak up
• Take Ownership: Be accountable for your commitments and outcomes

Working With Me

Communication Preferences

• During work hours: Slack is best for quick questions
• For important discussions: Schedule time on my calendar; I'll always make time, especially for urgent matters
• Async by default: I prefer written communication for complex topics; it's clearer and creates a record
• Nights/weekends: I may send messages but don't expect responses until business hours

Feedback

• I want your feedback: If something I'm doing doesn't work for you, please tell me
• Timely over perfect: Don't wait for the perfect moment, share feedback when it's relevant
• Be specific: "The way you handled X had Y impact" is more helpful than "that meeting was rough"
• It goes both ways: I'll give you direct, actionable feedback and expect you to do the same

One-on-Ones

Our one-on-ones are sacred time for us to connect. They are not status updates, those belong in Slack or Jira. Instead, let's talk about:

• Challenges you're facing and how I can help
• Your growth and career development
• Team dynamics and culture
• Ideas for improving how we work
• Life outside work (to the degree you're comfortable)

My Quirks & Growth Areas

What I'm Working On

• Saying "No" More Often: My enthusiasm means I sometimes take on too much. I'm learning to be more selective to maintain focus on my core priorities
• Patience with Ambiguity: I have a strong bias toward clarity and structure. While this helps eliminate surprises, I'm working on being more comfortable operating in gray areas when necessary
• Delegating the Interesting Stuff: As someone who loves technical challenges, I sometimes hold onto problems I should delegate. If you see me diving too deep into implementation details, call me out

Things to Know About Me

• I Ask "Why" A Lot: Not because I doubt you, but because I genuinely want to understand the full context. It's how I learn and how I can best support you
• I Can Get Excited About Data and Analytics: I might geek out about metrics, split tests, and data-driven decisions more than is strictly necessary. I co-founded a data analytics startup focused on feature flags and experimentation
• I Default to Teaching Mode: Having been an IC for years, my instinct is often to mentor rather than coach. If you need me to switch modes (less advice, more listening) just say so

My Superpowers

• Pattern Recognition: 15+ years across diverse industries (education, real estate, marketplaces, media, music tech) helps me spot opportunities and pitfalls early
• Building from Zero: I've co-founded a startup and built multiple teams from scratch. I thrive in ambiguous, early-stage environments
• Technical Credibility: I can read a PR, understand architectural decisions, and have opinions about test coverage
• Translating Between Worlds: I speak both "business" and "engineering" fluently and enjoy being the bridge between them

Team Culture & Values

Non-Negotiables

• Respect for Everyone: Regardless of role, seniority, or background
• Continuous Learning: Stay curious and keep growing
• Work-Life Balance: Take your PTO, respect boundaries, and remember that we work to live, not the other way around
• Quality Matters: We ship code that we're proud of, not just code that works

How We Win Together

• Focus on outcomes, not outputs
• Share knowledge generously
• Celebrate team wins over individual achievements
• Learn from failures without blame
• Support each other through challenges

Final Thoughts

This readme is a starting point for our relationship, not a replacement for getting to know each other. It will evolve as I grow and learn from working with you and the team. If you see any discrepancy between this document and my behavior, please tell me!

My door (virtual or physical) is always open. If you're struggling, celebrating, or anywhere in between, I want to hear about it. Your success is my success, and I'm here to help you do the best work of your career.