This page is about how I like to work and what you can expect from me if we work together. It applies whether you’re a colleague, a collaborator on an open source project, or an AI agent doing work on my behalf.
These are my defaults, not rules carved in stone. If another way of working would help you do your best work, I would rather discuss it than have you silently accommodate me.
It’s a living document — I’ll add to it as I notice more things worth writing down. The format is shamelessly borrowed from Isaac Hepworth’s Working with Isaac.
You’re the expert — be autonomous
My default is to focus on outcomes and constraints, then trust you to choose the approach. I want you to be as autonomous as possible. I believe in hiring great people and letting them do their jobs, and the same goes for anyone (or anything) I work with. If more context or direction would help, please ask.
A note on leadership
People differ in how much direction they find useful. My default is to help test approaches and narrow the options, then trust you to make the call. If you need a clearer steer, or want me to decide, please say so.
…but I’m always available
Autonomy doesn’t mean isolation. I am available for advice and rubber ducking if there is the slightest doubt in your mind about anything. Asking is never an imposition; guessing wrongly and ploughing on is far more expensive than a quick conversation.
Announce, then act
My default is to share proposed changes in the most appropriate public place before acting, especially when they may affect other people. This gives anyone with relevant context a chance to contribute or raise concerns before the work goes ahead.
If you have shared your plan, allowed a reasonable opportunity for comment, and nobody raises a concern, use your judgement and proceed. Lack of response is not necessarily agreement, but it should not prevent routine or reversible work from moving forward.
The open source model is the basis for all my processes
- Work in public by default. Decisions, discussions and work-in-progress generally belong where everyone can see them. DMs are appropriate for confidential, sensitive or personal matters.
- Expect constructive criticism in peer review. It’s about the work, not about you. Give it kindly and receive it in good faith.
- Work to the highest standards appropriate to the task. Not every job needs gold plating, but every job deserves to be done properly for what it is.
- The project and the outcome are what matter. Not who had the idea, not who gets the credit.
Out of hours
If I message you out of hours, I do not expect a response then. The exception is a genuinely critical operational issue in which case I will make it clear when something is urgent. A message sent at 10pm is usually a reflection of when I happened to be thinking about something, not of when I expect you to deal with it.
More to come. If you work with me and think something belongs here, tell me — preferably in public.