From the Desk of Eric Ries 

COVID-19 Leadership Edition

"I think we as leaders owe to our teams and to our customers, and really to our communities and our families...this idea that the common enemy we’re fighting against is fear and panic. And the best way to fight against that is to have a plan, execute a plan, communicate with confidence, and be willing to try new things, fail at new things, and be transparent about that. But [we need to ] celebrate this idea that there is going to be a new normal on the other side...and a new level of innovation that I believe some of the long-term capital that’s out [there is] going to really, really benefit from."

Those words come from a conversation I recently had with Carl Liebert, for my podcast, Out of the Crisis. His radical optimism is such an important component of what we all need as we navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis. Leaders, in particular, have a crucial role to play in how our institutions and, most importantly, the people who make them up, move through the pandemic to the future that awaits us.I've been thinking a lot about this topic lately, and all the ways in which people are stepping up in new ways as the pandemic presents us with needs we haven't considered before. I had a great conversation about it with James Beshara. Now more than ever, I believe that thinking long-term about the kind of society we want to live and work in is critical. We have an opportunity in the midst of all the difficulty and hardship befalling our country to make a new plan for going forward. In recent weeks we've seen just how quickly things can change, and how quickly we can adapt to those changes. Those adaptations are seeding the world that comes next and investing in them now will carry all of us into a more equitable future.My new podcast, Out of the Crisis, is an ongoing series of conversations with people leading the way to that future. They range from prominent CEOs and investors to scientists and builders. I've had the privilege of working directly with many of them on relief efforts, and I wanted to share their work with everyone as a form of inspiration to take action. You can find all the episodes and subscribe here.Below are some job listings for those of you looking for work, volunteer opportunities for people looking for ways to give back, some discussions of my work, and a few other things I've been reading in recent weeks.

 Most of all, I hope you and your families and communities are all well and safe. [Hiring]

Lean Startup Company is looking for a Director of Business Development and a Head of Operations.LTSE is hiring for a number positions in different areas of the company: Frontend Architect, Senior Software Engineer, Information Security Lead, IT Engineer, Market Operations Analyst, System Reliability Engineer, Data Analyst and Head of Marketing

 [Volunteer Opportunities]Good News Daily is looking for people to help find and curate positive stories: potential cures, promising research, cities doing quarantine the right way, stories of humanity rising to the challenge.C19 Coalition / National PPE Coalition is a group made up of the largest entities working on solving the PPE shortage. They're bringing attention to the people doing the hard work of sourcing and distributing and act as a connector between groups to fulfill supply and demand.[Conversations and Coverage]Forward Thinking Founders: On How Founders Can Weather the COVID-19 StormTech Entrepreneurs Form Coalition to Take On Sourcing Coronavirus SuppliesWhy now may be the perfect time to start your business, according to the bestselling author of The Lean StartupThe Lean Startup's Eric Ries has some advice for companies facing the coronavirus crisisHow Did the U.S. End Up with Nurses Wearing Garbage Bags?

Lean thinking in a Crisis. Live Panel with Eric RiesTop Startup Books of 2020Pivoting Your Small Business Model to Survive the COVID-19 CrisisCEOs Take On Work from Home ProductivityCo.Lab's Marcus Shaw shares some great readsA Novel Offers a Do-It-Yourself Remedy for Financial Anxiety[Other Readings]

You Aren't Communicating Nearly Enough"That’s a funny thing about our minds. In the absence of information, they fill in the gaps and make up all sorts of plausible things, without the owners of said minds even realizing it is happening."

 Requirements volatility is the core problem of software engineering

"Requirements change. Every software engineering project will face this hard problem at some point. With this in mind, all software development processes can be seen as different responses to this essential truth. The original (and naive) waterfall process simply assumed that you could start with a firm statement of the requirements to be met." How the Coronavirus Revealed Authoritarianism's Fatal Flaw

"Contrary to common belief, the killer digital app for authoritarianism isn’t listening in on people through increased surveillance, but listening to them as they express their honest opinions, especially complaints. An Orwellian surveillance-based system would be overwhelming and repressive, as it is now in China, but it would also be similar to losing sensation in parts of one’s body due to nerve injuries. Without the pain to warn the brain, the hand stays on the hot stove, unaware of the damage to the flesh until it’s too late."