Tech Commandments Framework
This module shows you how to tech commandments with clarity and momentum.
What You'll Learn
You’ll learn a founder‑first way to get to proof faster—clear constraints, real signals, and decisions you can defend.
TLDR
- •tech commandments framework: translate this framework into a smallest viable test you can run this week.
- •Use its vocabulary to align decisions and scope.
- •Measure behavior, not opinions; decide by evidence.
- •Cut work that doesn’t move the core outcome.
Intro
Early-stage technical decisions compound — the right ones accelerate you, the wrong ones create debt that slows everything down. Tech Commandments isn't about picking the coolest framework. It's about the principles that keep your tech stack fast, simple, and maintainable as you scale from 10 to 10,000 users.
Newsletter
Non-Technical Founder
Hey Reader,
There has never been a better time to be a non-technical lone wolf founder; with an abundance of tools to assist you on what you don't know. (𝕏)
With that... comes the responsibility to understand what's happening in the engine room. Blindly delegating tech decisions doesn't make you non-technical; it makes you negligent. (𝕏)
TL;DR Having a seat at the technical table, asking questions, and understanding decisions directly impacts your ability to deliver epic. (Workbook)
LAST WEEKS FRAMEWORK:
3.5 PIVOT: Or don't.
LETS GET INTO IT:
Your goal? Leverage these tools and be dangerous enough to take a position. Your tech stack isn't just code; it's literally the engine that powers your entire business. It dictates your speed, flexibility, and scalability. Feels like an awful idea to be at the mercy of someone else's decisions.
You're in the delivery business. Clock speed - how quickly you can build, learn, iterate, release, again, and again - this is defined by your foundational technical decisions.
A poorly built solution will still get you there, but will limit this speed, flexibility, and your ability to mature and technically keep up with the market.
It doesn't seem unreasonable, that you should be able to:
- Ask the right questions and challenge your tech team.
- Understand the trade-offs being made in technical decisions
- Know how your solution might scale and the impact of tech debt.
- Fight for ways to accelerate your delivery to production.
Skill up urgently. Speak tech, even if you don't write it.
Tech Commandments For Non-Technical Founders
One more thing...
Every startup will cut corners, the magic is which corners are intelligent, and which will forever haunt you. It's fine... as long as you know and have a voice in these decisions.
Out of all of this, you have two goals.
- Everything you can do to release better code quicker.
- Delay hearing "We didn't build it that way" when you request a feature.
A good place to start:
- Understand your product architecture: Know how your system is structured and why.
- Leverage existing solutions: Don't reinvent the wheel; use COTS where a non-core problem has already been solved.
- Plan for growth: At least design with scalability in mind, even if you don't implement it all upfront.
- Prioritize security: Make it a cornerstone of your product from day one.
Your startup is built on a foundation of ones and zeros. Respect that.
Off topic. I'm thinking of converting all these modules into a cohesive live course, from idea origination to first customers, literally pebble by pebble. Would this be helpful?
As always, if I can be of service, feel free to grab time with me.
-- James
Myths & False Signals
Technical decision traps that create debt.
- •The latest framework is always better — proven frameworks ship faster with fewer surprises.
- •Microservices are always the right architecture — monoliths are faster to build, deploy, and debug at early stage.
- •You can fix tech debt later — some tech debt compounds faster than others; know which kind you're taking on.
- •Performance optimization matters from day one — correctness and speed-to-market matter more until you have real users.
Frequently Asked Questions
People Also Ask
Key Terms
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