MaxSigma - Thinking in public. Summing what matters.

The Divide We Don’t Understand – Part I

I find myself increasingly puzzled—not just by politics, but by people. Specifically, by the depth of conviction on both sides of the divide around Donald Trump. There are those who see him as a dangerous aberration—unfit in tone, temperament, and method. And there are those who see him as one…

By Max March 26, 2026Leadership & Decision-Making1 Comment

Leadership & Decision-Making Long Arcs

Reverse Imposter Syndrome: The Visibility Gap

There are periods in building a company where, from the outside, it looks like nothing is happening. No announcements.No headlines.No visible momentum. And yet — beneath the surface — everything is happening. Design iterations.Difficult trade-offs.Decisions with long-term consequences. Progress is real.It’s just not visible. This is where many founders run…

By Max March 20, 2026Leadership & Decision-Making, Long ArcsNo Comments

Power & Institutions

When Lawsuits Become Policy

In a recent post, I looked at how differently modern presidents approach conflict. For most presidents, the law is something the state uses. Agencies investigate. Regulators act. The Department of Justice files suit. Conflict moves through institutions—slowly, and somewhat impersonally—buffered by process and precedent. The president may set priorities, but…

By Max February 17, 2026Power & InstitutionsNo Comments

Power & Institutions

Personal vs State Power Litigation by Presidency

Sometimes the difference isn’t in what’s said, but in what’s done—and how often. I’ve been looking at how modern U.S. presidents engage with the legal system, not as defendants, but as plaintiffs. Who files lawsuits, how often, and through what mechanisms? The charts below are a simple attempt to visualize…

By Max February 12, 2026Power & InstitutionsNo Comments

Leadership & Decision-Making Power & Institutions

When Standards Matter More Than Strategy

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/06/trump-obama-post-white-house.html I have spent most of my professional life working across borders—geographic, cultural, institutional, and ideological. Aviation, by its very nature, demands this. Airplanes do not care about politics. Physics is stubbornly bipartisan. And progress, when it happens, almost always comes from collaboration among people who do not think…

By Max February 6, 2026Leadership & Decision-Making, Power & InstitutionsNo Comments

Power & Institutions

Presidents and Conflicts

Donald Trump is clearly a different kind of president than Biden, Obama, Bush, or Clinton. For them, conflict tends to be institutional. Disputes move through agencies, regulators, and courts in the name of the public. The president may set priorities, but the litigation itself is impersonal—buffered by process, precedent, and…

By Max February 1, 2026Power & InstitutionsNo Comments

Leadership & Decision-Making Power & Institutions

Who is “Running the World?”

A question that hit closer to home than intended. I received an email recently with the subject line: “Who is running the world?”It contained a list of prominent companies and political offices led by people of Indian origin, followed by the implied conclusion that “Indians” are now somehow in control…

By Max March 6, 2023Leadership & Decision-Making, Power & InstitutionsNo Comments

Reflections

Memorial Day 2014 — Remembering the Cost

May 26, 2014 Memorial Day is often a pleasant pause—hot dogs on the grill, a cold drink in hand, time with friends and family. Enjoy that. But don’t let the day pass without thinking about the families for whom this holiday is anything but light. For them, Memorial Day parades,…

By Max May 26, 2014ReflectionsNo Comments