Writing
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How you handle corners
Bethany Crystal – Dec 14, 2018
Last night we ate dinner at a restaurant where the kitchen and dish-washing stations were separated from the main dining room by a staircase. When I left our meal to head to the bathroom downstairs, a hurried water jostled past [...] Read more
Being “buffer people”
Bethany Crystal – Dec 13, 2018
An ideal symbiotic relationship for humans at nightclubs Here’s an example of a symbiotic “fish cleaning” relationship from this National Geographic study guide There are two kinds of people in this world: The ones that get into nightclubs and parties [...] Read more
Candidates, don’t forget: You’re interviewing the company, too
Bethany Crystal – Dec 12, 2018
In a recent interview experience at USV, two candidates flipped the switch on the traditional process. Rather than wait for me on a next step, they turned me down after our first interview. Talk about shaking up the norm. But [...] Read more
Having a hobby with your partner
Bethany Crystal – Dec 6, 2018
A couple of years ago at a wedding, my husband and I sat in on a conversation about all of the things the other couples at our tables liked to do with their partners — go climbing, travel to the [...] Read more
How to prepare for your first job (in tech)
Bethany Crystal – Dec 5, 2018
Over the past couple of years, I’ve spent a lot of time meeting with students who are considering how to approach their careers. Now that I’m about a decade out of school, I feel like I’m far enough away from [...] Read more
Analysis: Two Years of Blogging
Bethany Crystal – Dec 2, 2018
I recently passed my anniversary of two years of blogging on Medium. Including this post, I’ve blogged 93 times in two years, with 65% of those posts coming from the past two months, when I’ve been blogging almost daily. I [...] Read more
When worlds collide
Bethany Crystal – Dec 1, 2018
Earlier this morning, in the elevator ride up to my office, the guy next to me suddenly says, “Hey, you’re Bethany Crystal, right?” I give him the same look I give many people that I should know who I actually [...] Read more
Getting people to take care of their dishes
Bethany Crystal – Nov 28, 2018
In my role at USV, I visit dozens of tech companies, and one of the things I like to pay attention to is the office vibe and culture of the space. Weirdly, one of my favorite things to scope out [...] Read more
The Fear
Bethany Crystal – Nov 27, 2018
In all the management books I’ve read and all the professionals I speak with, there’s one element of all of the good intent stuff that just doesn’t seem to be addressed: The Fear. When presented with an anonymous situation — [...] Read more