See the real system
Start with what exists, not assumptions.
- Do
- Read the code, workflow, users, and constraints.
- Avoid
- Designing for an imagined system.
05.1 / Principles
How we work.
Five simple principles help us make better decisions.
Five principles, one loop
Make risk visible
Show what changes, who owns it, and what can go wrong.
- Do
- Map decisions, dependencies, and evidence.
- Avoid
- Hiding uncertainty.
Start small
Build the smallest useful, testable change.
- Do
- Choose one real outcome.
- Avoid
- Calling a demo done.
Prove it works
Test, observe, and keep the evidence.
- Do
- Connect behavior to proof.
- Avoid
- Replacing proof with confidence.
Scale with care
Expand only when value and failure modes are clear.
- Do
- Add guardrails, an owner, and a rollback path.
- Avoid
- Scaling too early.