MatthewBarnard

Personal Operating Principles

1. Think from first principles.

   Question assumptions, seek underlying truths, and reason independently. Understand why something works rather than blindly accepting convention.

   Anyone with a why can find a how.

2. Do what’s right, as best you can.

   Act with integrity, treat people fairly, take responsibility for your decisions, and make the best judgment you can with the information available.

3. Minimize politics; maximize meaningful work.

   Work collaboratively, build relationships, and enjoy the people around you. But keep the focus on solving problems and creating value rather than managing appearances, status, or organizational games.

4. Align incentives with outcomes.

   Recognize that behavior follows incentives. Reward what genuinely matters, hold people accountable, and design systems that encourage the outcomes you actually want.

5. Stay intellectually honest.

   Follow the evidence, acknowledge uncertainty, admit mistakes, and change your mind when the facts warrant it.

6. Take ownership.

   Focus on what you can influence. Take responsibility for outcomes, address problems directly, and prioritize fixing the problem over assigning blame.

7. Seek simplicity and leverage.

   Solve root problems, eliminate unnecessary complexity, and look for ways to achieve better outcomes with less wasted effort.