I thought it might be helpful to write down some of the core principles and values that guide my professional life. If you are a colleague, friend, potential employer, or just curious, this might be a good place to start.

Give me ownership, trust my judgement, keep communication open, and let me focus on building things properly.

In return, you’ll get high-quality work, honest feedback, and a teammate who’ll go the extra mile when it matters.

Core Values Link to heading

  • Technical Excellence
    • I strive to do things right the first time and avoid short-term hacks that create long-term pain.
    • Code should be understandable, maintainable, and robust.
    • Use the type system - create code and interfaces where users fall into the pit of success
  • Pragmatism
    • I value solutions that balance ideal outcomes with real-world constraints.
    • I’ll favour efficient, practical approaches over unnecessary complexity or perfectionism.
  • Transparency & Accountability
    • I believe in clear documentation, open communication, and making decisions visible.
    • I welcome feedback and am happy to justify technical choices.
  • Continuous Learning & Improvement
    • I enjoy learning new skills and refining my processes.
    • I reflect on mistakes and am always looking to improve how I work.
  • Autonomy
    • I work best when I have ownership and flexibility in how I approach problems.
    • I’m most productive when trusted to get things done my way, rather than being micromanaged.
  • Motivation-Driven Productivity
    • My productivity is closely tied to interest and motivation, so I naturally work in peaks and troughs.
    • I deliver best on projects that align with my skills, interests, and sense of purpose.

Working With Me - What To Expect Link to heading

  • I will ask “why” before “how”, and question decisions that don’t make sense to me.
  • You can expect direct, honest feedback - both giving and receiving.
  • I’ll proactively flag technical debt, shortcuts, or decisions that might cause problems down the track.
  • I appreciate clear goals, the space to solve problems, and support when needed - without unnecessary oversight.
  • I’m happy to document, share knowledge, and help set up processes that make things easier for everyone.
  • If I disagree with a direction, I’ll call it out constructively.

Professional Anti-Values Link to heading

  • Cargo-Culting & Thoughtless Process
    • Blindly following process or “best practices” without considering context or actual value
    • Applying tools or methodologies just because “that’s how it’s always done”
  • Superficial Solutions
    • Quick hacks that leads to future technical debt
    • Sacrificing long-term stability for minor short-term wins
  • Micromanagement
    • Excessive oversight, rigid deadlines, or lack of trust in my ability to deliver
    • Being forced into approaches or decisions without good justification or the ability to direct the solution
  • Lack of Transparency
    • Hidden agendas, poor documentation, or unclear communication
    • Decisions made behind closed doors without involving relevant stakeholders
  • Bureaucracy for Its Own Sake
    • Overly complex or burdensome process that doesn’t deliver real value
    • Meetings, paperwork, or rituals that don’t move the work forward
  • Stagnation & Complacency
    • Settling for “good enough” when there’s clear room for improvement
    • Resistance to change, learning, or honest feedback
  • Punishing Peaks & Troughs
    • Expecting perfectly steady output regardless of context, motivation, or reality
    • Treating natural productivity cycles as a personal failing rather than a fact of creative/technical work

Don’t think of these as hard and fast rules. Instead, think of them more like factors that may contribute to low motivation or reduced performance.

Deep Dives & “Side-Quests” Link to heading

  • I have a tendency to follow “side-quests” or deep dives - exploring adjacent problems, refactoring, or solving issues that aren’t always on the immediate critical path.
  • From the outside, this might sometimes look unnecessary or off-task, but:
    • It often leads to better long-term solutions, improved understanding, or prevents bigger problems later.
    • Many of my best contributions come from connecting dots, cleaning up tech debt, or generalising solutions during these explorations.
  • I try to balance this with the needs of the team and project priorities, but a degree of “productive wandering” is core to how I work and grow.
  • If there’s concern that I’m getting too far off the main track, I appreciate a quick, candid check-in - happy to justify or course-correct if needed.