Decide what we are before what we can do.
All principles · 03 / Values before capabilities
Any sufficiently capable team can build almost anything.
In practice
Principles as input
A no that stands
The capability yields
Test
If a decision is justified only by "we can do it" or "it would be impressive", it is a capability decision masquerading as a values decision.
Read the full principle
Principle
Decide what we are before we decide what we can do.
Meaning
Any sufficiently capable team can build almost anything. Capability without values produces the same outcome every time: the strongest thing that can be built, which is usually the most capturing thing. Values-first means the mission and the principles settle the question before the engineering does. "Can we?" is never an argument by itself; "should we, given who we are?" comes first.
In practice
A feature that works but violates a principle is left unbuilt, regardless of demand.
The principles page is consulted as a design input rather than a marketing artifact.
When a capability and a value conflict, the capability yields.
Product pressure
This principle favors:
principles as an explicit input to product decisions
a "no" that stands even when the market would pay
roadmaps that name the value each feature serves
Test
If a decision is justified only by "we can do it" or "it would be impressive", it is a capability decision masquerading as a values decision.