Knowledge Marketplace
My First Million

My First Million

The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.

Back to Frameworks

Square Wave Management Style

Reusability

Alternate between high-level strategic thinking (10,000 foot view) and deep tactical execution (ground level details), avoiding the middle management layer

How It Works

Spend time on big picture priorities and vision, then dive directly into specific problem details, then return to high level - like a square wave pattern

Components

1

Establish 10,000 foot strategic priorities

2

Identify specific problem areas

3

Dive deep into tactical details

4

Solve problems hands-on with team

5

Return to strategic level

6

Repeat cycle

When to Use

When leading complex projects, when you need both strategy and execution excellence, when middle management is ineffective

When Not to Use

When you have strong middle management, when you lack domain expertise for details, when your team needs consistent direction

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

Getting stuck in middle management layerOnly staying at high levelOnly focusing on detailsInconsistent switching between levels

Example

CEO sets company vision and priorities, then personally reviews website conversion funnel pixel by pixel with designers, then returns to strategic planning