Product Principles

Principle 1: Trust first

Users must understand what the product is doing, what state they are in, and what happens next.

Principle 2: Clear over clever

The product should prefer clarity, explicit statuses, and understandable language over novelty.

Principle 3: Operational reality matters

A product flow is not complete if Ops cannot support it and explain it.

Principle 4: Provider-agnostic by design

External providers accelerate delivery but should not become the product truth.

Principle 5: Human and AI readable

Product knowledge should be structured so both team members and AI systems can retrieve and explain it effectively.

Principle 6: Build for a small team

Processes, features, and documentation must remain realistic to maintain with limited resources.