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Our manifesto


A manifesto for organizations evolving in the digital product era.

A single digital product has the power to transform an entire industry.

The performance and survival of a large number of organizations now depend on their ability to integrate digital at the heart of their business strategy.


This manifesto documents 16 principles that, our team believes, are the cornerstone to creating exceptional digital products that reach their objectives and stand the test of time.

Our 16 principles

✷ 1

Start with Clear and Measurable Goals

The starting point is the destination.

We believe exceptional products start with clear and measurable goals that are effectively communicated, understood, and shared with all team members. With a clear end goal in mind, teams will push forward in the same direction and prioritize accordingly, regardless of the obstacles faced throughout the project.

● 2

Involve Users

The public is not (only) here to applaud.

We believe the creation of exceptional digital products is achievable when users are involved. To understand users’ aspirations, or to validate an intuition, we must reach out to them, observe them, and open the floor to meaningful conversations. Once a clear understanding of these aspirations is reached, the technological solution chosen for product development should adapt to users’ needs, not the other way around.

○ 3

Keep Iterations Short and Fast

Creating digital products is a marathon of sprints.

We believe the best products are created when teams move fast and stop frequently to adjust the project plan. Along with these numerous modifications to the roadmap, we favor short iteration cycles—sprints—and frequent deployments. Mindfulness, regular updates, and continuous efforts are key to attaining any goals. Sprint marathons help the team move forward quickly, while the frequent pit stops validate we’re all heading in the right direction.

✺ 4

Put Your Heart Into It

Hunger provides the means.

We believe passion is essential to creating quality products. In today’s fast-paced digital industry, staying hungry is the only means of survival. Day in and day out, hunger keeps us emotionally vested and feeds our desire to learn. In fact, maintaining that hunger level is crucial to developing outstanding products. We also believe passion is contagious. A product created by a committed team will resonate in the hearts of its users.

✽ 5

Do Less but Better

Adding features doesn’t necessarily add value.

We believe the most impactful products execute essential functionalities flawlessly. Instead of developing many features that provide little value, invest time and budget on fewer key elements and use them to create an amazing experience that users will remember.

☻ 6

Dare to Tackle Technological Challenges

Simplicity is a complex challenge.

We believe technological challenges should never compromise the user experience. In fact, the most effective and easy-to-use products often include sophisticated, yet flawlessly implemented technologies. Teams that create remarkable products never hesitate to push beyond technological frontiers.

“We believe that a remarkable digital product is as beautiful as it is useful and reliable; It achieves business objectives while meeting user needs.”

⌘ 7

Write Quality Code

Always rely on a solid foundation.

We believe quality code is essential to building quality digital products. Quality code supports timeless products, adapts with ease, and provides users with impeccable experiences. In fact, we believe that when a team is proud of the code they write, their pride will be reflected in every aspect of the product.

✲ 8

Avoid Intermediaries

Major breakthroughs happen without middlemen.

We believe direct and unmediated communication takes ideas to the next level. And project success depends heavily on effective communication amongst team members. Even with clients, we must strive for direct and transparent communications to give ideas a chance to flourish.

❉ 9

Involve all Disciplines

Projects get done as a team, or they don’t get done at all.

We believe close collaboration between the strategy, design, and development teams is core to building exceptional products. Keeping clients and team members from every discipline involved throughout the process is essential. A successful product is the result of many small decisions made along the way by several stakeholders.  

✸ 10

Don’t be Afraid to Make Mistakes

Mistakes can cost yield a lot.

We believe innovation comes from failure and experimentation. Innovating involves exploring unknown leads, testing uncertain assumptions, taking risks and, most probably, making mistakes. Mistakes don’t really matter, as long as you learn from each situation and use the knowledge to your advantage. We must give promising ideas a fighting chance to quickly uncover the ones that deserve greater investment.  

✱ 11

Be Open to Direction Changes

The best way rarely ends up being the one we planned.

We believe in empowering teams to make roadmap adjustments along the way, so that they can build and create successful digital products. Product development is a bumpy journey filled with unpredictable conditions and unforeseen situations, for which the solutions may only come later down the line. With best practices in place, we believe route recalculations allow us to navigate our way through troubled waters.  

✦ 12

Mind the Details

Details matter.

We believe small details equate to big success. As such, creating a product that charms users involves adjusting, refining, and perfecting, over and over again. This attention to detail makes all the difference and creates memorable user experiences.

Perfection is reached not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing more to remove.

ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRY

▼ 13

Be Accountable for the Quality of your Work

Quality is non-negotiable.

We believe quality is owned by the entire team, as opposed to being managed by a single department. Quality is everyone’s responsibility, and it’s not something we’re willing to compromise. Teams building exceptional products are composed of accountable individuals who don’t rely on others to uphold the quality of their own work.

❊ 14

Encourage Debate

When stones collide, they also get polished.

We believe the best ideas emerge when diverging opinions come head to head. Submitting ideas to critique will always help improving them. Titles aside, every team member counts, and every voice must be heard. Debating amongst colleagues is encouraged, as well as with clients. (Even though it’s sometimes uncomfortable.) Good partners don’t accept anything and everything; instead, they make suggestions, propose ideas, and remember that the best ideas are the ones worth keeping.

✶ 15

Nurture Product Evolution

Products only survive if they can adapt.

We believe that lasting solutions are ever-evolving. A product’s past achievements don’t guarantee its future success. Staying one step ahead allows to develop user experiences that will remain relevant over time.

✣ 16

Don’t Bank Solely on Product Development

The product is but a sliver of the pie.

We believe success is not only determined by the product’s creation itself, but rather an ensemble that involves marketing as well as its projected evolution. Therefore, a portion of the budget should be awarded to marketing and sales, as well as design and development for future iterations. Of course, launching a product is a big deal, but the work is far from done. (Truth be told, it’s only just beginning!)

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