Stay hungry, stay foolish. - Steve Jobas

In my panel presentation during NexHealth’s hiring process, I listed the following operation principles. Here I want to shed more light on them:

  1. Be serious, but not too serious.
  2. Be curious, build a shared mind.
  3. Be transparent, radically so.
  4. Move fast and break things.

Be Serious

When it comes to work, I take commitments seriously. If I give my word, I will go to great lengths to make it happen. In a high-performing organization, this reliability is essential: we must be able to depend on each other’s words.

At the same time, seriousness should not mean burnout. We are in a profession where people’s lives don’t depend on us directly. Unlike an ER or battlefield, our standard should be an abundance of effort to honor commitments, but not stress to the point of harm.

Take leadership’s guidance seriously, but not literally. Understanding their reasoning and goal goes a long way to align at a more fundamental level.

Be Curious

Technology is a creative pursuit that evolves quickly. The implicit bargain of this industry is that we must keep learning; curiosity is non-negotiable.

Curiosity also fuels empathy. When conflicts arise, a curious mind asks: why do reasonable people, given the same facts, reach different conclusions? Often, the answer lies in different perceptions, hidden facts, or divergent motivations. Curiosity uncovers these differences and builds bridges.

Be Transparent

Transparency is one of the best ways to surface hidden facts, perceptions, or motivations. An organization is ultimately a group of people aligned toward a common goal. With that alignment in mind, there’s rarely a reason not to share openly.

When in doubt, err on the side of radical transparency, expressed politely. Transparency shows you humility and vulnerability. It’s surprising how much trust and connection this creates.

Move Fast

Talk alone doesn’t change the world; action does. I am biased toward action, even knowing I may be wrong. Wrong actions teach; endless talk does not.

Write a one-pager for your idea, share it, build consensus, and influence. Build a prototype to demonstrate it. Move forward. Only the paranoid survive.

And yes, moving fast means sometimes breaking things. That isn’t the goal; it’s a simple reality. Progress comes with risk. We move fast with caution, but must guard against risk aversion. Remember, only actions change the world.