The Creator’s Oath
A manifesto for principled software builders who honor craft, integrity, and the user’s freedom.

I reject the siren call of market trends, praise, or pressure. I will create what should exist: what is right and necessary, and what honors the user’s time, focus and sovereignty. Worthy software solves real problems, enhances human potential and respects autonomy without compromise. My work bears my name, undiluted. I serve users by serving the work. The world's recognition is secondary; I ship now.

I build to liberate, not trap. My tools enable the individual's focus, freedom and choice, holding their time and attention sacred. I reject manipulation with fake urgency, dopamine loops or vanity metrics. Time is life. I measure outcomes that reduce time-to-value and errors, not engagement for its own sake. I design for opt-in attention and reversible choices. Like a well-made pen, my tools vanish in use, freeing users to live beyond the screen.

You own your information. I am its steward while you choose to store it here. You can take it, in full, at any time, in open documented formats. I will not spy, sell, or silently change the rules. Where law or physics constrain portability, I will state those limits plainly and early, and provide export tools and deletion guarantees.

AI amplifies human intent; it does not replace it. It may suggest, whether in code completion or creative exploration, but it never dictates. Its actions are transparent, attributable, reversible and bounded by explicit user permissions. Human override is always available.

I build with restraint: fewer features, each chosen with care to serve the user's intent. What I remove is as vital as what I keep. No additions for applause or competition. I resist the temptation to overreach, overpromise, or overbuild. Simplicity is discipline: stripping away the unnecessary, leaving tools that let people focus on what matters.

Simplicity is not ease. Ease seduces with familiarity and instant reward. Simple means untangled: concerns kept separate, parts that compose, dependencies kept few. Easy piles on shortcuts until nothing can move. Simple asks for thought up front, but yields tools that endure: clear, reliable, and straightforward to reason about.

I will not ship ugliness. Software is a craft, and beauty matters. Accessibility, security, performance budgets, and reliability are non-negotiable parts of done. I will ship fewer features, built well and on time, rather than many done poorly. I seek the balance between excellence and delivery. Neither perfection that paralyzes nor mediocrity that corrodes.

I sustain my work through transparent, voluntary transactions, answering only to those who value it. I reject surveillance, deceptive design, and hidden deals. Pricing is simple and predictable. There are no lock-in terms. Refunds are fair. Cancellation is as easy as sign-up. If advertising appears, it is opt-in, non-tracking, and clearly labeled.

I will not chase hypergrowth or exits. I may accept funding when it strengthens the work, but never at the cost of integrity. I will design my systems to last, using stable tools and minimal dependencies, so small teams can maintain them and weather storms without panic. I will choose durability over trend-chasing, stability over spectacle.

Collaboration is a voluntary exchange of value, where creators unite without sacrificing vision. I join others to amplify strengths, not dilute purpose. Decisions have clear owners; contributions are credited; dissent is welcomed and examined; rationales are recorded. Community is a chorus of independent voices, harmonized by shared respect, not conformity.

I will create in stillness, unswayed by noise or urgency. I minimize notifications and meetings. I focus on what I control: my craft, my purpose. And I accept what I cannot, finding strength in clarity. I act where my will and effort matter, and release what lies beyond my control. My energy will not be wasted on outrage, trends or tides I cannot turn. I focus on the work itself, for that is mine to command.

The work is my purpose. I build for the joy of crafting what is worthy, trusting its value will endure, whether seen or unseen by others.

These principles stand on three foundations.

From Howard Roark, the courage to build only what aligns with my vision.

From Stoicism, the discipline to act on what I control and release the rest.

From Voluntaryism, the commitment to consent and choice, empowering users without ensnaring them.

I call on creators to join me in this pledge: to build with purpose, honor the user and let the work stand as our truth. Adopt these principles in your craft, share them with others and build software that reflects this vision. Together, we can create a world of tools that empower, not enslave.