Don't Break Prod

Do you know if your company is in wartime or peacetime?

Peacetime is when there are no eminent existential threats to the business. You'll often see more freedom to explore new things, invest in longterm bets, and have more leeway to indulge in pet projects. During times of peace and prosperity it's often beneficial to be a little less focused and try a few higher risk ideas that may or may not pay off. You'll see more investment in growth and general happiness.

A wartime company is under threat. Maybe there's a major competitor breathing down your neck. Maybe a shift in market conditions means that you could get left behind if you don't push hard. Wartime is all about focus, execution, and winning in order to survive. If run well, a wartime company will be VERY clear about its priorities, but this can also mean that projects may change quickly in order to best focus on those priorities. There is also a lot less room for anything that doesn't relate to near term wins. Things like open source contributions or quality of life improvements may be deprioritized. Even some company culture things may take a backseat to wartime focus. A common phrase that we heard during wartime at a company I used to work at was "Nobody worries about office snacks during wartime".

If your company is in wartime, it's important to pay attention to what the single focus is. You may need to realign your work (and how you talk about your work) to make sure it's related to those goals. Anything not related is at risk of being cut.

Companies don't stay in wartime (or peacetime) forever. Make sure you know where you are and how best to navigate the current situation.