Every company has values. Most are forgettable platitudes posted on a wall somewhere. At DhyanaTech, we wanted something different—a framework that actually guides daily decisions. That's how INSPIRED was born.
What is INSPIRED?
INSPIRED is an acronym for eight principles that shape how we work:
- Intelligence
- Necessity
- Structure
- Perseverance
- Innovation
- Resilience
- Empathy
- Design
These aren't abstract ideals. They're practical guides that influence everything from how we approach a new project to how we write a single function.
The Eight Principles in Practice
Intelligence
Smart solutions backed by thoughtful analysis
Before writing code, we think. What's the real problem? What solutions have been tried? What are the constraints? This upfront investment in understanding saves countless hours of rework later.
In practice: Every project starts with a discovery phase. We interview stakeholders, map user journeys, and research existing solutions before proposing anything.
Necessity
Building only what truly matters
The best feature is often the one you don't build. We ruthlessly prioritize, focusing on what delivers real value and cutting everything else.
In practice: We maintain a "not doing" list alongside our backlog. Features that don't pass our necessity test get documented and shelved.
Structure
Clean architecture and organized code
Good structure is invisible to users but invaluable for longevity. Code that's well-organized today is code that's maintainable tomorrow.
In practice: We follow consistent patterns, write documentation, and refactor regularly. Technical debt is addressed, not ignored.
Perseverance
Committed to seeing projects through
Software development is rarely smooth. Requirements change, bugs appear, edge cases emerge. We don't give up when things get hard—we push through.
In practice: We build in buffer time for unknowns. When setbacks happen, we communicate openly and adjust plans rather than cutting corners.
Innovation
Embracing new ideas and technologies
We stay curious. New tools and techniques can deliver genuine advantages—faster development, better UX, lower costs. We evaluate them honestly.
In practice: We dedicate time to learning and experimentation. But we're pragmatic: new technology must prove its value before we adopt it.
Resilience
Building systems that stand the test of time
The software we build should outlast us. That means thinking about edge cases, failure modes, and future requirements.
In practice: We design for failure. What happens when the database goes down? When traffic spikes? When requirements change? We plan for these scenarios.
Empathy
Understanding user needs deeply
Great software serves people. We take time to understand not just what users do, but why they do it and how they feel doing it.
In practice: We talk to actual users. We watch them use software. We ask "why" until we truly understand their needs.
Design
Crafting beautiful, intuitive experiences
Design isn't decoration—it's how things work. We create interfaces that guide users naturally toward their goals.
In practice: Design is integrated throughout development, not added at the end. Every interaction is intentional.
How INSPIRED Guides Decisions
Here's a real example. We were recently deciding whether to add a feature that several users had requested. Here's how we evaluated it:
| Principle | Question | Answer | |-----------|----------|--------| | Intelligence | Have we fully understood the request? | Yes, after user interviews | | Necessity | Does this solve a real problem? | Yes, but for a minority of users | | Structure | Can we add this cleanly? | No, it would complicate the architecture | | Innovation | Is there a better approach? | Yes, a simpler workaround exists |
The decision: don't build the feature, but improve documentation for the workaround.
Without INSPIRED, we might have built something unnecessary. With it, we made a decision we could defend.
Making Values Real
The key to making values meaningful is specificity. "We value quality" is vague. "We write documentation for every API endpoint" is actionable.
INSPIRED works because each principle translates into concrete practices. When someone joins our team, they don't just hear about our values—they see them in action daily.
Your Framework
If you're building a company or team, consider developing your own framework. It doesn't need to be an acronym (though those are handy). It just needs to be:
- Memorable: If people can't recall it, they won't use it
- Actionable: Each principle should guide real decisions
- Authentic: It should reflect how you actually want to work
Values that just exist on paper aren't values at all. They're marketing.
INSPIRED shapes everything we build at DhyanaTech. Want to see these principles in action? Let's work together.