5 Rules

5 rules for building outstanding, fast-growing software companies

For a detailed discussion of these rules and ideas on putting them into practice, see the 5 Rules blog post.

The Rules

• Delight the customer
• Commit then Iterate
• Less is More
• Nothing is Sacred
• Wait for No One

1. Delight the Customer

Get closer than ever to your customers.
So close in fact, that you tell them what they need before they realize it themselves. 
    — Steve Jobs

Delight your customers by exceeding their expectations and going beyond their imagination in what you deliver. Use your time with customers to listen intently and build empathy and a deep understanding of their needs and challenges.

2. Commit then Iterate

Art is never finished, only abandoned. — Leonardo da Vinci

If it is worth doing, it is worth refining. First, ensure your team understands that you must work together by committing and aligning to one goal, even when there is disagreement, but don't focus on the disagreement. Focus on the commit. Second, remove any penalty for later changing one's mind. Make it clear that iteration is not just expected. It is required.

3. Less is More

Je n’ai fait celle-ci plus longue que parce que je n’ai pas eu le loisir de la faire plus courte.
I have made this longer than usual because I have not had time to make it shorter.
    — Blaise Pascal

Push your team to devote time in every iteration to refactoring. Remove features that don't delight. Be ruthless when refactoring and abandon the parts that your market no longer cares about. Stay committed to the parts that delight. As Steve Jobs said, "Focus is about saying no."

4. Nothing is Sacred

Sacred cows make the best hamburger 
    - Mark Twain
Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning. 
    - Bill Gates

There are no sacred cows. Regardless of your code, business plan, marketing, or product strategy. Create an environment that seeks feedback at every turn and is comfortable with negative feedback. Be suspicious of positive feedback without data to back it up. Seek and telegraph loudly that you want critical feedback. When you get it, prove that you wanted it by not becoming defensive. If you aren't getting pushback, then something is wrong.

5. Wait for No One

If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you'll never get it done. 
    - Bruce Lee
[Just do it!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXsQAXx_ao0)

No one is more empowered to solve your problems than yourself. If you are blocked, ask for help; If no one is listening, raise your voice; But if the job isn't getting done, take matters into your own hands. The keyword here is decisiveness, empower your team, and have a bias for action. The same is true of feedback. If you think it is critical to the mission, don't wait for the ask. Give it proactively.