There’s plenty to be said about the current volatility in federally funded research: unpredictable executive orders, shifting rules and compliance notices, open threats of budget cuts or clawbacks. It’s destabilizing—but also a distraction.

Because even without the noise from Washington as of late,...

Why Good Operations Are More Like a Waltz Than a Race

When I named my company The Optimum Department, I knew the word “optimum” might raise eyebrows. In a world obsessed with productivity hacks, relentless optimization, and squeezing every last drop of efficiency from every process, “optimum” can s...