Ryan Blair

I build and manage teams. We work together to create great tech that solves important problems.

Some things about me:

Grew up on Long Island, NY, and I live in Manhattan with my spouse and two children.
MS Excel was, in many ways, my first IDE. It's how I learned to love numbers, computation, and the power of data-driven decision-making. Here are the tools I use now.
I read The Power Broker when I was 18. That book has influenced my life's work in major ways:
- I most recently worked as the Director of Digital Services and Deputy CIO of the NYC Department of City Planning, where we used technology to make NYC's real estate development goals more accessible to average New Yorkers.
- Prior to that, I championed and shipped groundbreaking digital transparency initiatives at the New York State Senate. The undemocratic ways Moses consolidated power through closed lawmaking maneuvers motivated me to get this done.

Some things I believe strongly based on experience:

If we're lucky, we get 4,000 weeks. We have to make sure we are spending that time working on the right challenges. We also have to make sure we aren't putting off happiness and fulfillment as frivolous goals that can be pursued later.
Truly great and sustainable products are built by cohesive teams of talented and motivated individuals.
Human biology and evolution left us all with impaired judgment. We have to fight these defects constantly in order to make good decisions.
We need to work to develop, maintain, and consider hyper-local economic indicators in city planning.
For long-term success, a team's mission needs to be bigger than profit.
OKRs >>>>> KPIs
It's hard to beat a well-executing organization, even if the strategy isn't perfect.
The Agile Manifesto is a brilliant and essential foundational document for any team looking to bring value to customers.