Systems & Side-eyes

Systems & Side-eyes

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Operator's Back Room
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To AI or Not to AI?
What a silly question...I genuinely wondered if I was about to be labeled a fraud for using AI. That moment forced me to finally explain how I actually…
 • Katie Barnes
The Operator's Back Room #001 - The Startup Operating Rhythm
If every question still ends up tagging the founder, you don't have a meeting problem. You have a communication rhythm problem. Here's the operating…
 • Katie Barnes
Two Kinds of People Read This Newsletter
(besides my mom...) There are two groups reading this newsletter: The founders living through the chaos. And the operators helping them clean it up…
 • Katie Barnes
One Year Without a W2: What I Got Wrong, What I'd Say Again
what I actually learned about panic, boundaries, and invisible work. Not the highlight reel version.
 • Katie Barnes
AI Didn't Make You Dumber. It Made You Absent.
Keep the strategy and judgment on your plate. It's what got you here.
 • Katie Barnes

June 2026

For the "I have way too many meetings..." people
Every founder I've worked with has said "we have too many meetings." Fewer can tell me who's allowed to make a decision without them in the room. That's…
 • Katie Barnes
A Brief Field Guide to Startup Culture (Observed in the Wild)
Every founder says culture is their competitive advantage. Fewer can tell you who owns the Sales-to-CS handoff. A field guide to the gap between the two…
 • Katie Barnes
It's Monday. Your calendar is already a crime scene.
You built something real. You just can't keep running it like this. New post is up, and there are 2 spots open for a Bottleneck Audit at a…
 • Katie Barnes
"What Actually Gets in the Way" - Live with Katie Barnes & Shannon Bindler
A recording from Katie Barnes's live video
 • Katie Barnes and Shannon Bindler
30:29
You Don’t Need Silicon Valley Cosplay to Build a Real Company
Some founders come from accelerators, pitch decks, and startup podcasts. Others come from 20 years inside a broken industry, watching the same problem…
 • Katie Barnes

May 2026

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