Introduction

This handbook is intended for clients and fellow developers who wish to understand how I develop products, identify new challenges, and communicate effectively.

It’s a collection of practices, lessons, and experiments I’ve developed over time, describing how I approach product development, run experiments, and prepare for the inevitable moments when things don’t go as planned.

I’ve built this handbook primarily from my freelance experience, and it outlines the foundations of how I established good relationships with my clients. However, most of the principles I talk about here can also be applied to teamwork.

I created this handbook because:

• It keeps me accountable. Writing forces me to think critically about my processes, identify weak points, and refine them.

• It’s my way of giving back. I’m self-taught, and everything I know came from people sharing their work online. This is my contribution to that community.

• It’s transparent. Clients can see exactly how I work and know what to expect before we even start.

This handbook is a living document. I’ll continue to refine it as I learn, fail, and succeed. I hope you find it useful whether you’re here as a client, a collaborator, or simply curious.

Inspiration

This handbook project was inspired by PostHog, and the people at Mendesaltaren also built a handbook about how they run their business, which is beautiful. I recommend checking them out.