Principles

This page contains a list of principles I apply to myself. They’ve been proven to work for me, and I stick to them as long as they do. Sometimes I learn something new that makes me rethink them.

I revisit this list often to remind myself why I do things the way I do them.

1. You can’t improve what you don’t measure.
2. Complex problems rarely need complex solutions at first. Build simple, then iterate.
3. Nobody can read your mind. If you want people to know something, communicate it.
4. Growth comes from failing many, many times.
5. Trust your instincts, but trust the data even more.
6. Users don’t know the solution they want, but they do know the problem they have if you ask the right questions.
7. One question at a time.
8. No dark patterns. Just build something better.
9. AI won’t replace us, but it will make you dumber if you stop thinking for yourself.
10. The point is to have fun, if it ain’t funny, maybe it ain’t worth it.