The Demand.io Operating System

This is not a list of values. This is how we think, decide, and build.

We are a small team building the infrastructure for AI-native commerce. Speed, clarity, and ownership are our competitive advantages. This document defines the shared mental models that make that possible.

Part 1: Ownership & Agency

Extreme Ownership – You Own the Entire System

There are no excuses. No blame. No “that’s not my job.” If you see a problem, you own the solution. This applies to your code, your team, your product, and the business.

The Owner's Mindset

[ Your Role ] → [ Your Responsibility = Entire System ]

Be Proactive – Own the Space Between Stimulus and Response

Between every stimulus and response is a choice. Most people react. We choose. Focus on your Circle of Influence, not your Circle of Concern.

Circles of Influence

+-------------------------+
|   Circle of Concern     |
|    +----------------+   |
|    | Circle of      |   |
|    | Influence      |   |
+-------------------------+

Inside Out – Private Victories Before Public Victories

Character precedes reputation. Discipline precedes influence. Master yourself before you lead others.

[PRIVATE VICTORY] → [PUBLIC VICTORY]
   Character          Influence

Part 2: Clarity & Execution

All Things Are Created Twice – Mental Then Physical

Every outcome starts as a blueprint in your mind. If you don’t define the end state clearly, you’ll build someone else’s vision by default.

Two Creations

[ Mental Creation ] → [ Physical Creation ]
    Vision/Plan          Execution

Next Physical Action – Break It Down to a Concrete Step

Projects stall when the next step is vague. Momentum happens when you define the smallest physical action you can take right now.

"Plan offsite" ❌ (stuck)
"Email Susan for three date options" ✅ (moves)

First Things First – Important Over Urgent

The urgent screams. The important compounds. Live in Quadrant II: prevention, planning, relationships. That’s where leverage lives.

Urgent + Important     = Crises (firefighting)
Not Urgent + Important = Leverage (building)

Active Voice – Clarity Is Velocity

Passive voice hides responsibility. Active voice assigns it. We write in active voice because ownership is our default state.

Passive: "The deadline was missed."
Active:  "I missed the deadline."

Part 3: Systems Thinking

Company as a System – Behavior Comes From Structure

When the same problem repeats, the issue is not the people. It’s the system. Change the structure, change the behavior.

System Design → Behavior → Outcomes

Solve Root Causes – Avoid the Quick Fix Trap

Symptoms are easy to treat. Root causes are hard. Quick fixes create dependency. Solving the root problem strengthens the system.

Problem → Quick Fix → Dependency grows
Problem → Root Solution → System strengthens

Do High-Leverage Work – Small Push, Massive Change

Effort is not the same as impact. Find the leverage points where a small push creates disproportionate change.

Low Leverage:  Big effort → tiny impact
High Leverage: Small effort → massive impact

Part 4: User-Centered Design

Own the Experience – It’s Never the User’s Fault

Confusion is a design failure, not a user failure. If someone doesn’t understand, we failed to make it clear.

User struggles → Blame design, not user

Self-Evident Design – Make the Right Action Obvious

Good design eliminates the need for explanation. Affordances and signifiers make the correct action feel inevitable.

Door handle shaped to push = Self-evident
Flat plate with "Push" label = Poor design

Close the Gulfs – Bridge Execution and Evaluation

Two gaps kill usability: the gulf of execution (how do I do this?) and the gulf of evaluation (what just happened?). Your job is to close both.

Goal → [Execution Gap] → Action
Action → [Evaluation Gap] → Understanding

Part 5: Strategic Positioning

Be #1 in Something – Own One Clear Position

The mind rejects complexity. If you try to own everything, you own nothing. Pick one position and dominate it.

Weak: "Fast? Cheap? High-quality? Maybe." → Forgettable
Strong: "Safety" → Volvo owns it forever

The Battlefield Is the Mind – Strategy Happens in Perceptions

Products compete in the market. Strategies compete in the mind. Features don’t matter if you don’t own a clear position in your customer’s head.

Mental Ladder:
#1 Leader
#2 Challenger
#3 Irrelevant

Create New Categories – Build a New Ladder

Don’t fight for position on a crowded ladder. Invent a new category where you’re #1 by default.

Old Ladder: #1 Competitor, #2 Challenger, #3 You
New Ladder: #1 You (only rung)

Part 6: Trusted Systems

Your Mind Is for Having Ideas, Not Holding Them

Your brain is a creative studio, not a filing cabinet. Offload commitments into a trusted system to free cognitive space for thinking.

Brain = Create ideas
System = Store commitments

A System Must Be Trusted to Be Useful

Trust comes from review. Without regular review, your brain pulls commitments back into working memory. The weekly review is not optional.

Capture → Clarify → Review → Act

What This Means for You

If you operate this way, you will have more autonomy, more impact, and more velocity than you’ve ever experienced. We don’t manage you. We give you the mission, the principles, and the trust. You own the rest.

If this resonates, you’ll thrive here. If it feels like too much responsibility, this isn’t the right team.