I have talked with 10+ peers recently and started feeling underpaid. But if I zoom out, I am already at a 100% hike from my last fulltime. That is not a small move.

So this is a strong base for my next jump, not a verdict on the current one. The data from those 10+ conversations becomes input for the move, not a reason to feel bad now.

I am hiring designers. LinkedIn charged me 10k INR for the job post and 1K applicants flowed in. There is no way to give every one a deep read, so the first pass is brutally simple.

Layer 1 is the resume and the portfolio CTA. Is the link there, can I click it, does it actually open? A surprising number fail at this.

Layer 2 is cleanness and attention to detail on the portfolio itself. Not the case studies, the surface. If the surface is sloppy, the depth almost never compensates.

• Layer 1: resume + a clear, working portfolio CTA.
• Layer 2: cleanness and attention to detail on the portfolio surface.
• Most candidates never make it past these two layers.

Today I had a thought I am not sure about. I am considering firing the UI designer and using the same budget to hire two stronger people.

I feel bad about it. Firing is something I want to avoid. But if the business needs to run, this kind of decision has to be made. The middle path I am turning over is pre-notice: letting him know early so he can jump to another job himself before things get formal.

I am very unsure. As a lead, when I think purely about work, firing is the best move. As a person, I am not there yet.

I just talked to my parents about the firing thought. As I kept speaking, I could not get the confidence to actually say "I will fire you, better you find another job in the meantime."

The more I sit with it, the more I think UX research is fine work for him. He can do that.

What I do want to do is share what I experienced yesterday (meeting 10+ people, seeing the market) and tell him this is how things are, and these are the thoughts I am having. Not as a threat, as a real conversation.

I am still not sure I will be able to say so.

Based on the last 25 years, I strongly feel I lack the solid resolve of saying something that may have a sad or negative impact on someone.

Being strong like that is a skill, just like communication is a skill, and it should be taught. I am going to try to teach it to Seshu.

I finally gave Praveen a last push, not sure if it is the last of the day or the last last. I told him to take the work more seriously.

I asked him about his probation period. It ends June 15. So I am holding 10 points that Praveen needs to hit by then. If he hits them, that will say Praveen is a great asset for Crpko.

An idea I got from this: a page where the team can see the points I am holding them to and what they have already achieved. So it is not vague, not arbitrary. They know exactly where they stand.