Operating Principles v0.01

A public draft of some operating principles I like to establish with my co-workers:

Embrace an experimental mindset. It is important to remember that our goal is to build something that people love, but getting there will require a lot of experimentation and learning. This may mean making mistakes and having to iterate on the product numerous times before it feels right and works.

Our first version will be wrong. It is important to remember that our first version of the product will not be perfect and will likely require further iteration and refinement. However, it is important to keep in mind that this process of iteration is the only way to create something that is truly great.

Next steps and ownership should always be clear. It is important that everyone knows exactly what they need to do next and when they need to do it by. It is a good idea to set timelines and goals to help ensure clarity on roles and responsibilities.

Be OK with sharing unfinished work. Many projects can languish or take a wrong turn when one person works in isolation and hibernation for too long. It is important to share unfinished work to get critical feedback and help move the project forward.

Don't worry about the pixels too early. I'm a big fan of using a sharpie or a messy Miro board to translate ideas in my head into visuals. Going into too much detail and focusing on high-fidelity mockups too early can actually limit creativity and slow down the process.

Share "bad" ideas. We should not be afraid of ideas that may at first seem silly or unworkable, because often these bad ideas can lead to better and even great ideas!