Disruptive Empathy

Disruptive Empathy

Why We Need the Fire Drill

The terminal and the truth

Eric Near's avatar
Eric Near
Nov 25, 2025
∙ Paid

There is a moment in the lifecycle of every high-growth, high-pressure tech startup (and frankly, every career) that defines everything that comes after. It’s not the moment the term sheet is signed, or the product launches successfully. It’s the moment the whole system fails.

I’m talking about the 3 AM, P1, “whoopsie it’s not working,” outage call. The …

User's avatar

Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of Eric Near.

Or purchase a paid subscription.
© 2026 Eric Near · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture