These are guiding principles for how we work at Alembic

Deliver simplicity

• We believe in continually delivering valuable software into the hands of our customers and their users
• We understand that if software isn't in the hands of users then it can't provide value to anyone
• We strive for the simplest solution as it's is the best solution
• We know that simple software is easy to change, but hard to achieve
• We try our best to meet our clients' needs while keeping the software as simple as possible
• We introduce complexity when it is absolutely necessary
• We simplify complicated systems to make them easier to read, understand, manage, maintain
• We don't pretend that we can predict the future
• We translate complex language and concepts to stakeholders in a simple, accurate way

Thrive together

• We believe teams perform better when they are supported, and know they are in a safe place
• We value what each of us contribute to the whole team
• We are authentic and kind in our interactions with each other
• We are collectively responsible for delivering our clients' outcomes
• We appreciate and respect individual differences
• We strive to be trustworthy, honest, open, and inclusive
• We break down walls with our clients so we can succeed as one team

Always curious

• We thrive on continual discovery and learning
• We question assumptions
• We look for ways to learn and grow
• We don't get stuck in old ways
• We are willing to try new processes, ideas, and technologies
• We pause from implementation to ask: "Is there a better way to achieve our goals?"
• We ask: "Why is it like this now?" or "How has this been done before?"
• We seek to understand projects and project decisions to best support our clients

Act with empathy

• We strive to be kind and inclusive
• We support those around us, and we are supported by our teams
• We know when to push back and when to go with the flow
• We connect with our clients and their users on a human level
• We consider things from the point of view of users and clients
• We try to understand our clients' issues and the reasons for their decisions
• We seek to understand others' motivations, goals, and feelings to better understand context and prevent misalignment
• We follow the example of the retrospective prime directive, where we truly believe we do the best job we can, and express empathy to our peers

Enjoy the adventure

• We enjoy doing great work together as we deliver successful outcomes
• We get excited about new projects and technologies
• We do not fear challenges
• We respect that the way we select to view the world affects our experiences, for better or worse
• We know solutions to problems are rarely clear from the start, so the path to a solution is the path of adventure
• We learn and gain valuable experience from every project we work on
• We tame and refactor codebases, and think that being pushed out of our comfort zone is an adventure
• We realise that adventure can imply always seeking excitement but sometimes the best tech is boring tech