Product principles

Written by Quinn and Rafael in 2021; Lena added the last two in 2026. When two of these pull against each other, say which one won and why.

1. The depot is the unit. Our customers run depots and sites. Set-up, sign-in and approvals go depot by depot, because that is how customers change things.
2. Nobody gets locked out. Every change to how people sign in has a rehearsal and a way back. A driver who can't sign in at five in the morning has nobody to call.
3. Administrators keep the last word. Whatever we hand to depot managers, a customer's administrators can still see and decide everything under All requests.
4. Data stays where we said. A customer's region is chosen once and everything we keep for them stays in it. If something leaves the region, we say so before a customer finds out.
5. Build on what every customer has. Prefer extending roles and depots over a special case for one customer. One customer's ask is a sign; three customers' asks are a feature.
6. Say what exists. Sales, customer success and support tell customers what the product does today. Something being shaped is not a promise.
7. Fewer settings. A setting is a decision we didn't make. Add one only when customers really differ.
8. Plain words. The portal says "approve", "depot", "access". No jargon, no exclamation marks.
9. Every ask gets an answer. A customer who asks gets an answer within a week, even if it is "not now". We keep the question and the answer in Emargen.
10. Dropping is a result. Shaping something and then dropping it (visitor day passes, portal dark mode) is cheaper than building it. Write down why.