I run all of IT for a mid-size company. This newsletter is what I learn doing it.

I’m Nelson Lopes, IT Director at a mid-size company in Portugal, part of a European group. Like most IT leaders outside big tech, I don’t have a dedicated security team, a PMO and an AI task force — it’s me, a small team and a few trusted partners, wearing all those hats in the same week. CISSP, PMP and ITIL certified; more importantly, accountable for what breaks at 3 a.m.

Every week, one issue (800–1,200 words) with:

• Field Note — the kind of decision, incident or project this role throws at you, and what I’d repeat or avoid

• The Move — one practical takeaway you can apply the same day: a step, a checklist, a way to decide

• Radar — what’s changing in security, AI and infrastructure that actually matters at mid-size scale

Who it’s for: IT directors, IT managers and sysadmins at small and mid-size companies — and engineers who want that seat. If you have an enterprise budget and a 40-person SOC, this will feel quaint. If you’re doing enterprise-grade work with three people and a spreadsheet, you’re home.

What you get for subscribing: one field-tested issue a week — no fluff, no vendor pitch.