An Incomplete List of All the Buzzwords I Hate

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annoyances, bane of my existence, buzzwords, communication, complaints, contractor, english, language, list of buzzwords, start ups, Twitter, Work-from-home

If you know me in real life or followup me on Twitter, you probably already know that buzzwords (and their persistent overuse in the start up community) are the bane of my existence. I could go on and on about why I hate buzzwords (I think they obfuscate conversations so that people can feel smarter/more exclusive than they really are*), but it may just be easier and more entertaining if I write you a list of buzzwords that suck.

Buzzwords and Buzzphrases That Suck for Everyone

• “loop [someone] in”
• “out of pocket” (which, according to my brother’s boss, means that “someone is completely out of touch”)
• “vertical”
• “calibration”
• “synergy”
• “transparency”
• “ROI”
• “pilot”
• “check-in”
• “loop back”
• “circle back”
• “circle in”
• Really, anything involving the word “circle” or “loop”
• “dashboard”
• “leverage”
• “pain point”
• “sweet spot”
• And so much more!

So, dear readers, tell me about all the buzzwords that you hate.

*I also really really vehemently dislike the fact that most of these words are being used willy-nilly, with complete disregard for the actual definition of the word.