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Tenets Framework

Creates non-negotiable team tenets with rationale, trade-offs, and pass/fail examples.

Updated Jan 29, 2026
Search Tags:#strategy#governance#leadership#decision-making#tenets#team culture#operating principles
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/sparkst/sparkry-claude-skills --skill tenets-framework-sparkst
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: Tenets Framework
Source: https://github.com/sparkst/sparkry-claude-skills/tree/main/plugins/strategy-workflow/skills/cos/tenets
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/sparkst/sparkry-claude-skills --skill tenets-framework-sparkst

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Teams repeatedly re-litigate the same decisions and struggle to make consistent trade-offs as they scale. This Skill produces a structured tenets.md document that turns vague values into falsifiable decision rules with measurable compliance criteria. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Structured Tenet Template: Each tenet includes a pithy statement, rationale, acknowledged trade-off, pass/fail examples, and measurement criteria. - Five Reference Tenets: Includes ready-made examples such as Proposal-First, Simple Before Clever, and Truth-Seeking Over Validation. - Anti-Pattern Guidance: Flags vague statements, missing trade-offs, and unenforced tenets, with a quality checklist before finalization. - Use Case: A founding team establishing its operating model uses this Skill to draft 3-5 tenets that resolve recurring speed-vs-quality debates and align distributed engineers. ## Quick Start Use the tenets skill to draft five decision-making tenets for my engineering team, including rationale, trade-offs, and pass/fail examples for each.

Frequently Asked Questions about Tenets Framework

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I write effective team tenets?▼

Write each tenet as a specific, falsifiable decision rule rather than an aspirational value. Include a pithy statement, rationale, an honest trade-off, concrete pass and fail examples, and a measurement criterion so compliance can be verified.

What is the difference between tenets and values?▼

Values are aspirational statements like 'we care about quality,' while tenets are actionable decision rules like 'every release must pass automated tests.' Tenets are falsifiable, acknowledge trade-offs, and guide concrete decisions rather than inspire.

How many tenets should a team have?▼

Keep tenets between 3 and 5, and never exceed 7. More than that becomes unmemorable and unenforceable. Focused tenets are easier to cite in code reviews, retros, and performance discussions.

When should I use tenets instead of a decision framework?▼

Use tenets when teams repeatedly face the same conflicts or when scaling requires consistent decisions without central approval. Tenets prevent re-litigation of settled trade-offs, whereas ad-hoc frameworks suit one-off decisions.

How do I measure whether tenets are being followed?▼

Define quantitative signals per tenet, such as percentage of features with written proposals, onboarding time for new engineers, or source tier distribution in deliverables. Review tenets quarterly or annually against these metrics.

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