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The No BS Manifesto

Axioms

Axiom #1: Manifestos are only reminders

Axiom #2: There is no substitute for thinking

Axiom #3: Being able to do it is what matters

Axiom #4: Straight talk saves lives

Axiom #5: Five axioms is two too many

Principles

1. No jargon is allowed

2. The measure of team success is overall business success

3. Trade offs always exist. Make them explicit. Use dollars to decide. 

4. Modularization is good. Simpler is better. Complex is bad. 

5. Write stuff down. Write it so people can understand it.

6. Data and numbers matter. Don't ignore your gut but don't trust it. 

7. Work inside the business (e.g. software development) must aim to achieve something in the real world.

8. No platitudes, obvious truths or vague approximations allowed.

9. Listen more than you talk. Ask for specific things.

10. Do what you promised. Admit early if there’s a problem.

11. Make big decisions carefully. Make small decisions quickly. Get on with it.

12. Make the world a better place. Inside the team and outside. 

13. The specific tech you use rarely matters. Use what works, not what you like.