Principles

How we decide.

Ten rules we hold every product, feature, price and partnership to. If a choice breaks one, we change it or drop it.

  1. 01

    Give people a better choice

    Every product has to remove a bad trade-off: more capable, more affordable, more open, or easier to keep using. Copying what exists isn’t enough.

  2. 02

    Make it powerful, not complicated

    Start in minutes, and still have room for serious work. A long feature list isn’t power. Keep the simple path clear and put deeper control within reach.

  3. 03

    Charge for real value and real cost

    Prices should be clear, fair and possible for independent people and small teams anywhere. Owning your work, exporting it and leaving are never premium extras.

  4. 04

    Let people leave

    People should stay because the product is good, not because leaving hurts. Usable exports, documented interfaces, practical ways out.

  5. 05

    Prefer open paths

    Standard file formats, documented APIs and open protocols, wherever they make a product more useful or give you more choice.

  6. 06

    Treat AI as a feature, not the product

    Use it only where it does a real job better than normal software. Keep it optional and replaceable, and never make you depend on a model you can’t question.

  7. 07

    Protect customer data

    Your data runs the product. We don’t sell it, advertise with it or train outside models on it, and we collect less when less is enough.

  8. 08

    Don’t manipulate people

    No dark patterns, fake urgency, hidden prices or confusing cancellation. Nothing designed to keep you clicking or paying by accident.

  9. 09

    Build for a long, useful life

    Keep your options open, maintain the product well and stay current where it helps, so it keeps working as your needs change.

  10. 10

    Earn trust through the work

    Make the smaller claim and keep it. The product works, explains itself and respects your time.

Before we build, ship, price or partner, we ask:

  1. 1Does this give the customer a better choice?
  2. 2Does it make the product more powerful without making it needlessly harder?
  3. 3Is the price tied to real value or cost?
  4. 4Can the customer keep control of their data and leave if they choose?
  5. 5Would we be comfortable explaining this choice plainly on our website?

If the answer is no, we change the decision or we don’t make it.