"I deleted Microsoft Teams so I could make a phone call. It’s easily the best decision I’ve made for my workflow this year."
For years, I tolerated Teams because it was “standardized” by IT. It was clunky, hard to navigate, and constantly in the way - but I put up with it because clients expected it.
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Then macOS 26 introduced a feature I was genuinely excited about: the ability to make phone calls directly from my Mac using my professional mic and speakers. No switching devices. No breaking flow.
Instead, every call attempt was hijacked by Teams. Not because it was better, but because it had quietly taken over system permissions. It refused to play nicely with the rest of the operating system - and took away my ability to decide how I work.
The moment I uninstalled it, everything worked exactly as advertised.
Here’s the lesson: your ability to deliver value depends on owning your environment. Large software companies often use their market position as an excuse to ignore your interests. When a tool interferes with your flow or ignores system rules, it doesn’t deserve a place in your workspace.
Treat your desktop as sacred. Every tool should earn its keep. And if your IT department objects, make the case - show how these policies reduce effectiveness. More often than not, they can be changed.
Job Opportunity - Senior PM for Cloud at n8n
This idea of ownership and operational rigor is exactly what strong platform PMs wrestle with every day. My friends at n8n are hiring a Senior Product Manager for Cloud, and the challenge they’ve put together is one of the best I’ve seen.
If you’re a PM who cares about reliability, systems thinking, and owning the messy parts of the stack, take a look.
👉 Explore the challenge here. Role details here.