README.txt | Operating Principles
Core configuration for how I build.
Strategy compiled from listening, evidence, and collaboration.
My background in conflict resolution trained me to read complex systems — to map competing incentives, weigh trade-offs, and move people toward shared outcomes. Now, I apply that same architecture to product decisions: translating friction into focus and turning diverse perspectives into aligned direction.
Root
Teamwork over prestige.
The best products ship from teams who trust each other. Collaboration always comes before personal recognition.
Clarity over cleverness.
I translate complex systems into language teams and customers can act on — signal over noise, every time.
Community builds better products.
Great roadmaps are co-authored. I invest in developer and customer feedback loops and ship alongside the people who rely on the product most.
Curiosity with discipline.
I experiment responsibly, measure what matters, and scale only what proves value — curiosity guided by version control.
Outcomes over output.
What counts is the change we create for users and the business. Performance gains, workflow clarity, and user trust all matter more than volume.
Architecture Logic
People first, always.
Accessibility isn’t a checkbox; it’s a baseline. I advocate for inclusive design and prioritize the realities of disabled users, caregivers, and anyone navigating the product with constraints.
Compliance is table stakes — care is the work.
Start with the job; honor the human.
I blend technical architecture with story and evidence so the product makes intuitive sense to real people, not just to the system.
Ecosystem thinking > feature shipping.
API-first design, tight scopes, and clean documentation compound over time — multiplying leverage for partners, teams, and scale.
Enablement is part of the feature.
Every release ships with its own onboarding: guides, examples, and change logs that turn adoption into muscle memory, not friction.
Small, reversible bets.
I prefer thin slices, feature flags, and rollout paths that let us learn safely — iterating fast without breaking trust.
Ethics by design.
Privacy, consent, and accessibility live in requirements, not retrofits. If a growth idea compromises user dignity, I refactor the idea — not the ethics.
Default Operating System
Cross-functional by default.
I align engineering, design, support, and marketing around clear goals, shared dashboards, and crisp communication — one operating system, many functions.
Decision rhythm.
A predictable release loop keeps decisions transparent and outcomes measurable:
- Define the bet (user/job, metric, blast radius)
- Rank by Impact × Confidence ÷ Effort
- Ship a slice behind a flag
- Watch leading indicators; adjust or roll back
- Close the loop with customers and internal teams
Communication style.
Direct, transparent, and inclusive. I favor “we” language, write the plan down, and leave room for questions. Clear documentation is how communities — and teams — build runtime trust.
AI as a teammate.
I use AI to augment workflows — automating context sharing, accelerating discovery, and freeing teams to focus on human decisions and creative problem solving.
Runtime Compatibility
Mission with measurable impact.
Products that help people learn, build, give, or create — real outcomes, not vanity metrics.
High trust, high standards.
Autonomy with accountability beats process bloat every time.
Writing culture.
We document decisions so alignment doesn’t require a meeting — context lives in version control.
Long-term thinking.
We invest in platforms, not just releases, and track compounding value over time.
Customer-proximate.
Direct access to feedback signals from support, research, and analytics keeps strategy grounded in reality.
Builder energy.
Small, empowered squads with tight feedback loops and a bias to iterate.
Respect for craft.
Engineering excellence, thoughtful discovery, and honest storytelling — each discipline treated as essential infrastructure.
Inclusive by design.
Accessibility and belonging are built into the workflow, owned by everyone, not a single role.
Non-Negotiables
- No dark patterns
- Accessibility from the first sprint
- Data dignity over convenience
- Honest metrics, honest stories
If We’re a Fit → Run a Compatibility Check
Want to see these principles in motion?
If the architecture of Taylor vNext aligns with your roadmap, let’s initiate a discovery call.
I’m currently open to full-time roles focused on AI-driven systems, product architecture, or next-gen workflow design.