Your Values Are Your North Star
Every decision is filtered through values, whether you notice or not.
I want to hire someone. They're incredibly talented but have no ethics in sales. Do I hire them?
My values are: "Build things with integrity. Respect users. Be honest."
Against those values, the answer is clear: no.
Most people don't state their values. So decisions are inconsistent. Or worse, they follow someone else's values without noticing.
I spent time writing Vestcodes' values:
- Security first
- Transparency always
- Users over profit
- Builders over bosses
These aren't pretty words. They're decision filters.
When someone pitches a feature that's slightly deceptive but profitable: values say no.
When a user reports a security issue we're slow to fix: values say prioritize.
When a "lucrative" enterprise deal requires hiding limitations: values say decline.
Values make hard decisions easier because you're not deciding in the moment. You've pre-decided. Based on principle.
This also attracts the right people. People with similar values find Vestcodes. People with different values leave. That's healthy.
The exercise is simple:
- Write 3-5 values you actually live by
- Test them against recent decisions
- Adjust if they don't match reality
Most people's stated values don't match their actions. That gap is where authenticity dies.
Close the gap. Live by your values. Make decisions harder in the moment but easier in the conscience.