Delightfully Friday Junior: Who's Actually on Your Team?
The questions we asked. The answers we didn't expect.
I’ve been putting off writing this for over a month. Turns out I find writing hard. Moving on.
We’re into the next cycle of Delightfully Friday Junior. The format: one team member hosts 30 minutes, no work allowed, activity of their choice. Games, creative tasks, questions — whatever they want. I opened the first round. Since then, two other people have hosted, and both landed on the same instinct I had: ask the team something real.
Who are these people? What’s happening off-camera that’s shaping their day?
In an office you can just… observe. You catch a long sigh. You notice someone’s been staring at the same spot for an hour. You read the room without anyone having to say anything. Remote takes all of that away. If you want to know someone, you have to go looking.
So I gave the team 12 questions and asked them to answer at least 6. Here’s what came back:
What is the best thing that happened to you this week outside of work?
“Helping my Mom get through a challenging time at the hospital and bringing her back home.”
“Reconnecting with an old high school friend.”
What is the biggest distraction you face while working from home?
“Just taking care of home stuff. It’s good to be able to quickly take care of the dogs, or the baby, or the laundry, or whatever. But it also means that the only separation I have from all these things is, at most, a closed door.”
“My own mind always seems to be the biggest distraction. It is a constant wrestling match to figure out how to structure whatever I am working on in such a way that I can get started and stay focused.”
What is one remote work habit you’ve picked up that you’ll never give up?
“Working when I am unable to sleep.”
“Having a nice lunch with my partner away from screens.”
What is one thing your colleagues might be surprised to learn about you?
“I was a member of a dance company in my youth and part of a performance aired on WMTV.”
“maybe surprising or maybe not surprising at all (not sure which): I am a little house cat who likes quiet environments and 1:1 time, not very outgoing or comfy in multi-human settings. She is a sensitive lil granny at heart.”
What is the most significant challenge you’ve overcome in the last year?
“Getting a puppy. Having a puppy. Dealing with a puppy. Did I mention puppy? I’m not sure I’ve fully ‘overcome’ this challenge, btw.”
“Feeling numb and burnt out from stress of the world and life. Getting to leave my house and go touch dirt with my hands and make something that is just for me helped me find community and create new friends.”
What is one thing you wish you were more courageous about?
“Failing and not beating myself up.”
“Confidence. I wax and wane with feeling like I have an ego or showing off, which makes me not toot any horns or feel proud of my work. Which could lead to writing more or speaking about what I do to a crowd without feeling judged.”
What is a piece of feedback you received that changed your perspective?
“You don’t suck at this — it’s just new to you.”
“Labeling yourself as ‘junior’ or ‘beginner’ sets expectations for the person hearing it. I think everyone has experiences that bring value and that we are all at the same level but in different places.”
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
“Getting to create things for and with people that want to do better in this world. Being able to be creative and get paid for it and make a living wage, which is something my parents didn’t get for their skills.”
“Working with people that are so open about their process and kind about feedback. I was recently talking with an old classmate and she was describing some really toxic work environment conditions and I was reminded how wonderful it is to be in this space.”
“Collaborating with you all on cool shit.”
What is one thing you are truly grateful for today?
“I am grateful that spring is here and the birds are singing and the flowers are putting out their flagrances (Freudian slip intended).”
“My supportive partner and the lovely Flagrant team that cares about people.”
I didn’t know I was looking for any of that. But there it is — connection, surprise, context. The things that explain why someone’s quiet on a call, or brilliant in a meeting, or particularly good at one kind of work and not another.
The deeper we go into AI, the more I want to be around actual people. A prompt won’t surprise you. The people I work with did.
If you’re on a remote team, go find out who’s in that rectangle. Not as a team-building exercise. Just because they’re a whole person and you’re missing most of them.
If you’re looking for a team to help you discover the right thing to build and help you build it, get in touch.
Published on May 7, 2026
