User Guide to
Charles Lee

• I spent my 20s in San Francisco and my 30s in Vietnam. I've lived between cultures for most of my adult life. This colors how I think, communicate, and what I find "normal."
• I make a lot of weird jokes. Deadpan, absurd, provocative—sometimes all at once. People regularly can't tell if I'm joking or serious. Rule of thumb: if you're not sure, I'm almost certainly joking. I also exaggerate for effect, so don't take everything I say at face value.
• I'm scatterbrained. I will lose details and forget things you've told me. This isn't me not caring—it's Prudence 0 and Structural 3%. If it matters, put it in writing. If I said I'd do something and haven't, remind me without guilt. I won't be annoyed; I'll be grateful.

I see systems and possibilities but genuinely do not notice process gaps or interpersonal dynamics unless they're pointed out to me. If you need me to engage with details, frame them inside a bigger question.

I'm a quick study and genuinely curious. I will go deep on things that interest me and completely disengage from things that don't.

• Direct to the point of blunt. My Interpersonal Sensitivity score is 3 out of 100. I genuinely don't register when I've hurt someone's feelings in the moment. If I do, tell me—I'll course-correct.
• I debate to think. If I'm pushing back on your idea, it usually means I'm engaged, not dismissing you.
• Lead with the conclusion. I lose patience with long build-ups. Give me the answer first, then the reasoning.
• I can dominate a room without realizing it. My Assertiveness is 93rd percentile. Interrupt me—I'd rather be interrupted than have people leave a meeting feeling unheard.
• Strong opinions, loosely held—in theory. When I have no data, I'll form a strong opinion fast. When given good data, I will change my mind. But honestly: my Flexibility is 22nd percentile and my Sceptical score is 94. That means I believe I adjust quickly, but you may have to push harder than feels reasonable to get me there. If you have the evidence, don't give up after one attempt.
• I speak fast and mumble. I'm processing in real time and the words come out before they're fully formed. Tell me to slow down. I won't mind.

Channels

• I'm genuinely channel-agnostic. Slack, email, call—I honestly don't care. If my style on one channel annoys you, tell me and I'll switch. You should communicate with me the way you prefer.
• For anything that requires real thought, I'll write. I value longform prose and will spend time perfecting a document. I prize brevity and economy of wit—say more with less.
• I intellectually dislike meetings because they're inefficient. But if you get me in one, I will take over, enjoy myself immensely, and probably run late. Some things only emerge live—thinking together, arguing, pressure-testing ideas. I recognize the contradiction.

• Bring structure. My Prudence score is literally 0. I will not create processes, timelines, or tracking systems. I need people who do this naturally.
• Challenge me with data. "I feel like this won't work" won't land. "Here's the data showing this won't work" will.
• Don't wait for me to check in. I'm not going to micromanage—partly because I trust you, partly because I genuinely forget.
• Flag when I'm overcommitting. I will say yes to too many things. I need someone to say "you already have 5 priorities, which one are we dropping?"

• Be direct. Don't sandwich it. Don't hint.
• Expect an initial reaction. My Excitable score is 100—I will have a visible emotional response. This is not me rejecting the feedback. Give me 24 hours and I'll come back having genuinely processed it.
• Use specifics. "You interrupted Sarah 4 times in that meeting" lands better than "you sometimes dominate discussions."
• I take criticism personally. Adjustment score: 1. I know this about myself. Your directness is a gift even when it doesn't feel like one in the moment.