We all have principles that guide our day-to-day decisions.
Here are the ones that shape how I code, how I work and how I think.
1. On craft
Ship before you're ready
Your best teacher is production. Perfectionism is just procrastination in a nice outfit.
An ugly v1 that runs beats a gorgeous v3 that only exists in your head. Your users will always tell you the truth faster than your assumptions will.
Your tools shape you
Master your editor, your terminal, your stack. The shorter the gap between your idea and its execution, the more dangerous you are. Every shortcut you learn compounds over time.
Every bit of friction you remove is brainpower freed up for the real problem.
Write more than code
The best devs I know can write. ADRs, postmortems, docs — whoever writes clearly thinks clearly.
If you can't summarize your PR in two sentences, you haven't really understood it yet.
Simplicity is the hardest thing
Anyone can make things complicated. Making things simple takes years. Delete code without remorse. Question every abstraction.
The best architecture is the one the next dev gets in five minutes.
Passion matters more than technique
Knowing what to build will always be harder than knowing how. Form opinions about the products you use every day.
What annoys you, what makes you smile — that instinct is your real competitive edge.
Build things you'd use yourself
If you wouldn't pay for it, if you wouldn't open it every day, if you wouldn't recommend it to a friend — why are you building it?
Enthusiasm shows. And it can't be faked.
2. On mindset
Discomfort is the compass
The project that scares you is the one to take. The conversation you've been dodging for three days is the one that really matters.
Everything worthwhile lives just past the "I'm not sure I can pull this off."
Teaching is the best way to learn
You only truly understand something once you can explain it to someone else. Articles, talks, pair programming — it's selfishness disguised as generosity.
Teaching forces clarity.
Hire hunger, not the résumé
The most memorable people I've worked with didn't necessarily have the best background. They had a fierce curiosity and no problem getting their hands dirty.
Degrees fade, drive never does.
Transparency by default
Share the context. Over-communicate intent. 90% of conflicts at work don't come from bad faith, but from a lack of information.
When in doubt, say more, not less.
Protect your energy as much as your calendar
Saying no to the wrong things is saying yes to the right ones. Not every Slack thread needs you. Neither does every meeting.
Your deep work hours — defend them like treasure.
Strong opinions, weak ego
Fight for your ideas. Then drop them without hesitation when reality proves you wrong.
The goal isn't to have been right, it's to be right in the end.