Work in Progress: Why This Manifesto Is Never Done

This Manifesto Is Not Finished

It never will be.

And that's the most important point of all.

Anyone looking for a finished value system laminates it and hangs it in the hallway. We write ours in Markdown, commit it to a repo, and change it when reality changes.

A manifesto that doesn't evolve isn't a manifesto. It's an epitaph.

Rule #1: Better Done Than Perfect

We didn't start this company because we had a perfect plan. We started it because we started.

That sounds like a startup cliché. It is. But it's still true.

Perfection is the enemy of every relevant piece of work. Not because quality doesn't matter – but because the difference between 80% and 100% often costs three months and has zero impact.

We ship at 80%. Then we iterate. In the time others spend on the last 20%, we've live-tested three versions and know what actually works.

This applies to code. This applies to articles. This applies to this manifesto.

Rule #2: Don't Work for Assholes

Yes, this is a real rule.

No, it's not in our employment contract. But it's in every decision we make.

We don't work with people who treat others poorly. Not with clients who yell at their team. Not with partners who create pressure through fear. Not with companies whose business model is built on exploiting others.

This costs us revenue. Every year. Deliberately.

Because no project is worth waking up with a bad feeling. Because the team we've built deserves to work with decent people. Because we can.

"Don't work for assholes" isn't a luxury. It's an investment in the longevity of the team.

Rule #3: Imperfect = Perfect

This company has rough edges. Our processes aren't all optimized. Our website probably has a typo somewhere.

And that's ok.

Imperfect = Perfect doesn't mean we don't care about quality. It means we have the courage to show things before they shine. It means we'd rather be honestly unfinished than polished and dishonest.

It also means: This manifesto will change. Maybe a twelfth principle will be added. Maybe we'll cut one. Maybe we'll rewrite everything next year.

And that's exactly right.

Meta: Why a Manifesto?

You could ask: What's the point? Just do good work and shut up.

Fair enough.

But we believe transparency has value. Not for marketing – for ourselves. A public manifesto is a promise you can't break quietly.

If in a year we act against our own principles, anyone can dig up this article and say: "But you said..."

And that's exactly the point. We want to be accountable. Not to investors or a board. To ourselves and the people we work with.

This Is Till Freitag

Eleven principles. One operating system. Work in progress.

Not perfect. Not finished. But real.

→ Open positions → Get in touch