1.  Every company is now a distributed company

Darren made it clear: "In 2025 and beyond, every company is a distributed company, whether or not they want to identify as such."

Even companies mandating RTO are still distributed across floors, buildings, and time zones. The problem? Many are still relying on in-person work as a crutch for broken systems. Instead of investing in how information flows and how work gets done asynchronously, they expect proximity to fix the problem.

"If any part of your business is distributed, you have to go to first principles and make sure distributed-first principles are in place."

2. Performance problems? Fix the car, not just the driver

Executives are hyper-focused on performance — but Darren challenged us to rethink where the problem really lies.

"They're not responsible for the driver so much as they are responsible for the car the driver is in."

If your systems are clunky, your tools are disjointed, and your processes are undocumented, even your top talent will struggle.

Instead of squeezing more from individuals, start by making the environment better. When systems are designed well, performance improves across the board.

3. Start with knowledge management — everything else depends on it

Darren’s framework for modern operating models starts with knowledge management. From there, you build project management, self-management, and finally performance management.

"Knowledge is the new currency of trust. And businesses operate at the speed of trust."

Without a central "org brain," everything falls apart. You lose the ability to onboard quickly, operate asynchronously, or even leverage AI. And the best part? With modern tools like Notion, it's never been easier to start.

4. Project management is still just... meetings

Too many teams are still using meetings as their project management system. Darren pointed out how absurd this is — and how costly.

"Instead of actually doing anything productive in the first 90 days, you're setting up one-on-ones to extract their version of what's going on."

Great orgs send you a link to the team’s Asana board. Everything's there. Goals. History. Owners. It's faster, clearer, and far more respectful of people’s time.

5. Self-management requires real team agreements

Freedom without clarity can be overwhelming. When teams go remote or async, many employees don't know how to structure their days, when to be online, or how to communicate.

"For some people, the flexibility is a dream come true. For others, it's completely overwhelming."

The answer? Team agreements. Define when you're available, how you communicate, and what your rituals are. It makes the flexibility work for everyone.

6. Why leaders revert to old ways: the need for coherence

Many companies are backtracking on remote work and reintroducing legacy systems. Darren explained this through the lens of human psychology.

"Even if they logically know it’s not the future, they are still willing to step back for the comfort of coherence."

The chaos of the last few years has left people craving familiarity. But moving forward requires conviction. As Darren said in his one-word close: "Conviction. That's how you galvanize a team."

Thanks for reading. See you next time!

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