Still Building.
Leading teams through a moment with no map.
I'm a VP of Engineering managing 30 people while the rules change every month. Still Building is where I share what I'm figuring out in real time: the writing, a free management tool called Paperwork, and coaching for leaders working through the same shift.
The old playbook is dead. Nobody's written the new one yet.
The org chart you inherited was designed for cheap capital and big teams. That era is over. AI changed what one person can build. The coordination layers you staffed up? They're friction now. But nobody hands you a manual for what comes next.
I'm not writing the new manual. I'm just sharing what I find while I look for it. One week at a time, from inside the thing.
Still building products.
AI changed what one person can build. The leaders winning right now aren't delegating from a distance. They're hands-on again. Building prototypes between meetings. Shipping alongside their teams.
Still building teams.
Flatter structures, more autonomy, fewer layers. The teams that move fastest are designed for what's next, not what worked five years ago.
Still building people.
The best thing a leader can do is make themselves unnecessary. Give engineers agency. Give them AI. Give them space to own their work. Then get out of the way.This is for you if
โ Your team is slower than it should be and you know the structure is the problem
โ You're trying to figure out how AI changes your team, not just your product
โ You're a builder at heart who got pulled into management and never quite let go
โ You want practical, honest advice from someone in it, not someone who left five years ago to consult
Who's behind this?
I'm Jamie. VP of Engineering at Kajabi. Managing 30 people and still writing code between 1-on-1s. I've been building software since 2007 and leading teams since long before I had the title.
I didn't set out to be a manager. I got pulled into it because I was good at building things, and eventually the job became helping other people build things too. That part stuck. But I never stopped wanting to build.
Now AI is changing everything about how we staff, structure, and lead engineering teams. I'm figuring it out in real time and sharing what I learn along the way.
The Still Building newsletter
I write about leading teams through this shift, mostly on LinkedIn and X. The newsletter is where it all lands in one place, plus the occasional thing I only send here. Sent when there's something worth sending.
No spam. Just signal.