We Default to Transparency

We "flip the bit" and justify opacity. Transparency is our starting point so that everyone has equal access to the information they need.

How to live this value:

Even/Over Statements for this value:

  • Open over Closed

  • @Mentions in Slack Group Chats over Slack Direct Messages
  • This also supports the I of ARCI (informing), efficiently communicating changes to all concerned parties

Putting it into action:

  • If you find yourself having a conversation that sounds like "Should we open up access to this document?", you’re not flipping the bit. The document should start as open, and the conversation should instead be, "Do we have good reasons to close access to this document? What are they? Are there any objections to scoping the access down to a smaller group?"

  • Share data among teams so everyone can make the best decisions
  • Make this data structured and accessible
  • We default to capturing internal meetings (audio and video), and then we decide whether we use them internally or externally 

  • If you have a question and you’re not sure what to do, default to asking because others likely have the same question
  • We ask for the good of our Crew even if we feel embarrassed to do so

What this value doesn’t mean:

  • This doesn’t mean that all information is transparent — we just make choices (together) about what requires opacity