#442 – Reflecting on 50

I’m turning 50 next week.

That milestone has me reflecting not just personally, but professionally. It’s one of those moments that forces a step back to look at what’s working, what’s not, and what really matters. One word keeps coming up: balance.

At Parabol, it’s not about chasing growth at all costs. It’s about experimenting, learning, and staying open to change. Importantly, it’s about doing all that without losing sight of who we are and what we really care about. We aim to move fast, but with intention. That means not getting too precious about the work, but also not losing ourselves in the rush. The goal is steady, thoughtful, value-aligned progress.

We’re constantly exploring how AI can support our work. We’ve used it to speed up tasks, find patterns, and unlock scale. But it’s not a silver bullet. We’re learning where automation adds value and where it risks flattening nuance. Human context, empathy, and judgment still lead the way. The challenge is knowing when to lean into AI and when to make space for real conversation, intuition, and connection.

Getting ready for a SOC2 audit means putting real structure in place. The time has come for documented policies, clear procedures, and consistent practices. It’s necessary, and it’s the right move for where we are. But we’re also conscious not to let compliance turn into bureaucracy. We’re working to build just enough process to meet the standard without losing the flexibility that makes us effective. The goal is accountability and adaptability. It’s important that we build systems that protect trust without getting in the way of how we work best.

We’ve been experimenting more intentionally. We ship leaner, learn sooner, and invite feedback earlier in the process. A recent example: our product team is testing new report features by building just enough to get them in front of a few users through our sales team. This lets us learn what’s landing, what’s missing, and what would make the feature more valuable before we fully commit. It’s a tight loop between product and sales, where each informs the other. That’s the kind of rhythm we want more of.

Turning 50 is a good reminder that progress isn’t just about moving forward at all costs. It’s important to stay grounded in what matters and be willing to adjust along the way. Optimization is useful, but only when we’re clear on what we’re optimizing for.

Here’s to building with balance—between speed and purpose, tools and people, ambition and empathy.

The continued drop in web sessions is concerning and while we are testing new ways to influence search, it will take time to see what is working.

…Reviewed and shared feedback on Terry’s recent work on Task cards and how we can enhance the value of these cards for our users.

…Completed a dry run for next week’s GitLab + Parabol Webinar

…Set up our initial Trust Center in our ongoing prep for SOC2 certification

…Host a Webinar with GitLab, join us by registering HERE!