# Organisational Principles 📐

These principles govern how teams collaborate, plan, and deliver work.
For code design principles, see [principles.md](../design/principles.md).

## Principles 📋

Follow these principles. Keep the rule column short, imperative, and as [SMART](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMART_criteria) as practical; use the reason column for the rationale, the principle column for the linked source name, and put the expanded wording in the details column.

| Rule | Reason | Principle | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ship the first valuable increment early. | Early value shortens feedback loops. | [Agile Manifesto](https://agilemanifesto.org/) | Deliver working software as soon as it is useful and keep delivering value continuously. |
| Accept useful requirement changes. | Better ideas can arrive late. | [Agile Manifesto](https://agilemanifesto.org/) | Treat late requirement changes as normal when they improve customer value. |
| Release working software frequently. | Frequent delivery surfaces issues sooner. | [Agile Manifesto](https://agilemanifesto.org/) | Keep iterations short enough that users see working software at regular intervals. |
| Work with business daily. | Daily contact keeps intent aligned. | [Agile Manifesto](https://agilemanifesto.org/) | Keep business and development in daily contact for decisions and feedback. |
| Trust motivated people. | Engaged people take better ownership. | [Agile Manifesto](https://agilemanifesto.org/) | Build around engaged people and give them ownership of the work. |
| Use direct conversation for blocking topics. | Direct talk resolves blockers faster. | [Agile Manifesto](https://agilemanifesto.org/) | Prefer face-to-face or synchronous discussion when the decision is urgent or complex. |
| Measure progress with working software. | Working software shows real progress. | [Agile Manifesto](https://agilemanifesto.org/) | Use running software, not documents alone, as the main progress signal. |
| Keep a sustainable pace. | Sustainable pace avoids burnout. | [Agile Manifesto](https://agilemanifesto.org/) | Set a pace the team can maintain for the long term. |
| Improve technical quality continuously. | Quality debt compounds if ignored. | [Agile Manifesto](https://agilemanifesto.org/) | Invest in design and code quality on every change. |
| Remove unnecessary work. | Removing work leaves room for value. | [Agile Manifesto](https://agilemanifesto.org/) | Choose the smallest solution that achieves the goal. |
| Let teams shape their own design. | Local teams know the best design. | [Agile Manifesto](https://agilemanifesto.org/) | Let self-organizing teams own architecture, requirements, and implementation. |
| Inspect and adapt regularly. | Regular review catches process drift. | [Agile Manifesto](https://agilemanifesto.org/) | Review the process at regular intervals and change it when it is not working. |