Introduction | The Principles

There wasn’t a moment’s hesitation; no one got confused or tried to look up the principles in a brand manual. How could they remember them so well? Their principles were simple, relatable, useful — and there weren’t many of them.

Here are the principles.

1. Optimize for aligned, empowered customers




2. Surrender control, and embrace emergence




3. Cede authority




4. Treat people as ends, not means




5. Enough is enough




6. Play long games




7. Tell the truth, even when it's scary




8. Create invitations, not ultimatums




9. Trust fully and unconditionally