The MYRS Manifesto
What we believe.
These are the principles that guide how we build. They come from experience: things that worked, things that failed, and learning to tell the difference early.
Evidence is the currency.
Opinions are abundant. Evidence is rare.
We measure behavior, not intentions. What people say they want and what they actually do are often different. Watch what they do.
Assumptions are hypotheses, not facts. Every belief about your customer, your market, your product is a guess until you test it.
Data without context is noise. Evidence means understanding why, not just what. Numbers tell you something changed. Conversations tell you why it matters.
Momentum beats motivation.
The discomfort of not knowing shrinks when you start moving.
Running the loop creates clarity. You learn by doing, not just thinking. Each cycle reveals what the last one couldn't.
Small steps compound. A single customer conversation is more valuable than a week of planning. Ship something. Learn something. Repeat.
Specificity is kindness.
"Everyone" is no one. Specificity sharpens everything.
The tighter you define your customer, the easier everything gets. When you can describe their pain better than they can, you've earned their attention.
Precision respects your user's time and attention. When you're specific about who you're helping, you honor both.
Listen for your customer's language. Use their exact words. Their words reveal more truth than you might expect.
Constraints create elegance.
Infinite possibility paralyzes. Boundaries focus.
Scarcity breeds creativity. The best solutions often come from working around constraints, not from unlimited resources.
Constraints sharpen execution. When you can't do everything, you have to decide what matters most.
Time pressure also reveals priorities. Deadlines force trade-offs, showing what you actually care about.
That's when the right strategy unfolds.
Craft is compounding.
Small improvements accumulate. Every detail teaches.
Excellence is a practice, not an event. Quality comes from habits you build, not moments you achieve.
Taste develops through iteration. Each version teaches you something about what good looks like. The gap between your vision and your execution shrinks with every cycle.
Details signal care. Users notice when something is thoughtfully made, even if they can't articulate why. That builds trust.
This is how we operate.
The founders who make progress aren't always the ones with the best ideas. They're the ones who validate early. Who talk to customers before building. Who learn hard truths before they become expensive mistakes.
They don't wait for perfect conditions. They generate momentum. They serve specific people deeply instead of chasing broad appeal. They use constraints to focus.
This is the discipline we practice. This is what we build into Alchemist. And we hope it helps you too.