I’m Panji Gautama. I write about engineering leadership, product, and how I work.
My Ex-Boss Cultural Hints
These collected notes from a former boss cover the habits behind reliable engineering work: clear commitments, thoughtful communication, root cause analysis, ownership, and respect for colleagues. They also examine deadlines, preventive mechanisms, and being honest about what we know. I preserved them as a reference rather than my own writing, with the attribution made explicit in the post.
On being a great meeting attendee
An effective meeting also depends on how people attend it. These brief notes cover reading the material, leaving feedback, staying engaged in discussion, and setting up audio and video for a remote call. They are a practical companion to the meeting facilitation posts, focused on the small responsibilities each participant brings rather than the work of the facilitator.
Silent Meeting
A silent meeting starts with shared reading and written comments before moving to discussion. I describe how to prepare the document, give people time to read, surface disagreements, and finish with assigned actions. The format depends on good facilitation and self-contained material, but it offers a way to give more participants room to contribute to the conversation.
Facilitating a Great Meeting
Useful meetings need preparation, participation, and a clear outcome. I collect practical habits for choosing attendees, preparing pre-reads, keeping discussions focused, and closing with decisions or actions. The notes also cover parking lots, quieter participants, optional invitations, and the cost of filling a scheduled slot after the discussion has already reached the point of diminishing returns.
Personal Development — Silent Killers of Productivity
Merasa sibuk belum tentu berarti kita sedang produktif. Dari kursus personal development yang saya ikuti, saya mencatat beberapa kebiasaan yang diam-diam menghabiskan waktu dan energi: menunggu semuanya sempurna, multitasking, jeda yang tidak membantu, serta email yang terus mengganggu fokus. Tulisan ini merangkum hal-hal yang saya pelajari tentang perencanaan, prioritas, dan mengelola energi saat bekerja sehari-hari.
Muhasabah
Improving as a manager starts with understanding how I work and what I expect from myself. In this reflection, I describe how learning from experienced leaders and Lara Hogan's writing led me to create a manager README. Writing it gave me a way to make expectations clearer for my team and identify what I wanted to improve next.
New Chapter of Kudo
I look back at building Kudo's early prototype, deciding to join the founders, and choosing to believe in its mission of helping underserved people in Indonesia through technology. Written as Kudo entered a new chapter with Grab, this is a personal note of gratitude for my teammates, the founders, and my wife's support through the difficult parts.