User's guide

My working style

I’m very warm and friendly. I like to connect on a personal level with the people I spend most of my days with, although recognizing that when we hit some turmoils, we need to respect the authority of the person designated to make the tough calls.
I like to understand the big picture and need to know all the rules before playing a game.
I need to debate ideas and decisions and can challenge what I don’t fully grasp. It’s never about the person and always at the ideation level.

Irrational decisions or behaviors, don’t come to me only with a gut feeling about a decision
Cowardice
People using family-related terms to describe a work environment. It makes me cringe and put my defense up.

Use the right tool for the right job
Don’t stare at a screen and you’ll be more creative
Spend more time learning the basics
Follow the rule of least power
Beware of trends
More info: https://medium.com/ccoutzoukis/my-5-work-principles-1a9aa9d6d08d

I like direct questions, just ping me! I’m trying really hard to have a healthy work/life balance so if I’m not answering right away, please be mindful of my timezone and focus time.
Don’t be a stranger! I’m always curious to know more about my team and in a pre-Covid environment, I would sometimes wander around the office to meet and chat with people from every department. I miss that about being remote.
Written text is lacking tone and body language. If it’s for a harder conversation, video or in-person is probably best.
Avoid acronyms, I find them not inclusive and also remember that I’m from a different culture.

I try really hard to acknowledge my biases so please let me know if you see me making wrong assumptions.
I believe in radical candor for feedback and psychological safety. We should be able to help each other by communicating clearly and openly.

I’m a very confident introvert. I don’t mind speaking up and leading a conversation, but I need alone time to recharge, process and think.
When I’m in a meeting, I like to have my hands occupied with something. It can look like I’m not paying attention – especially on a video chat – but I assure you that I’m listening.
English is not my first language and I’m constantly frustrated by this limitation. I’m a totally different person in French and much more eloquent.

Ideally, I would want to work in an office with no more than 4 people. I like some company but open space offices freak me out.
I think in-person meetings are very important, especially when kicking off a new project or when you've never met that person before.

Maker’s time in the morning, meetings in the afternoon.
Interestingly, my most creative time is during my workout in the morning. I call it my Deep Workout®.

Father of three wonderful daughters: Maya, June, and Zoé
I’m a multi-instrumentalist but have mostly played electric guitar in bands since I was 16
I’m from Paris, France originally but also half Greek – hence my last name – although I’m a third-generation immigrant and can barely speak any Greek.