Principle

A principle is a stable rule or stance that guides decisions across time and contexts.

Principles:

• Help teams make consistent trade-offs when information is incomplete.
• Are designed to be durable (they should outlast specific tools and implementations).
• Shape boundaries, responsibilities, and “what good looks like”.

When to write principles

Write principles when you want to align people on:

• What must remain true as systems evolve
• How to decide in recurring, high-impact situations
• Which trade-offs are acceptable vs unacceptable

Principle vs guideline

Guidelines are recommendations; principles are more fundamental and stable.

Related: Guideline · Requirement