This marks the first in a series of posts on my 'builder framework,' a collection of helpful mental models for software development and product management.
I’ve heard it said that technology is simply anything that didn’t exist when you were born. So for each generation, the meaning of "technology" changes, constantly evolving as new ways to interact with the world are discovered and built and adopted.
For me, technology is ultimately about solving unmet needs. Reducing pain and suffering. Helping individuals, communities, and life flourish.
It’s my hope that sharing some concepts that have been helpful for me, may in turn help others — to make a contribution, earn a living, and find fulfillment working in software.
To start things off, I'm sharing my general product principles.
Principles help teams and individuals navigate difficult trade-offs. Principles help anchor our decisions and actions. Principles provide us with a solid, changeless core, in a world where the only constant is change itself.
Product principles are typically complementary to the product vision at a given org, and therefore these six may not be exhaustive. But they're a great starting point, and surprisingly not so common in my experience.
Product Principles
- Contribution
- Focus
- Learning
- Empowerment
- Perseverance
- Open Web
1. Contribution
We are here to make a contribution, to add value, to improve people's lives. Our customers have a job to do, and we help them solve their unmet needs, pain points, and desires with our product.
2. Focus
We do a few things, exceptionally well. Our organization is climbing 1 mountain at a time. Our teams each pursue 1 outcome at a time.
3. Learning
We value learning. Being curious, exploring, getting a little bit better everyday. We help our teammates improve. We "plus 1" what we like and we give clear, constructive, timely feedback when we critique.
4. Empowerment
We believe in the power of smart, creative, and proactive individuals working in teams. We share the company strategy, in simple and clear terms. Then we give teams the space and support to pursue a product outcome with their ingenuity, passion, and grit.
5. Perseverance
We don't give up easy. If there's a wall — we first make sure it's the right wall — we find our way through it or around it, together.
6. Open Web
We believe that the open/decentralized web will beat the closed/centralized web. A future where users, developers, and creators are owners. We build in public, integrate within our ecosystem — upstream and downstream — and craft robust solutions that stand the test of time.
Resonate with these principles? Have another principle that's been impactful in your work? Reach out, I'd love to connect and hear about it.