Engineering Principles

What are Principles

Principles are meant to guide our every day decision making such that we are optimizing for what matters most to the business. Good principles help make hard decisions easier by indicating which trade offs we want to accept vs do not want to accept as an org. Principles may change and adapt over time to meet business needs and to push it where it needs to go.

The Principles

Here are our principles that we strive to embody in our decision making within engineering at WHOOP:

Tooling Over Process

We believe the best processes are the ones enforced by great tools, not by extra meetings or documentation. Over-reliance on manual process slows teams down and breeds inconsistency; strong tooling creates clarity, consistency, and speed at scale. This principle addresses the friction that arises when alignment depends on human coordination instead of system design.

Don’t Assume; Pursue Validation

Assumptions are the enemy of precision. Validation is an explicit part of completing the job to be done. Built into the execution plan is a way to verify that things are working properly. This principle addresses the risk of building based on intuition or internal bias rather than validated member or business needs.

Prioritize by Outcomes, Not Opinions

Our time and energy are finite, so we allocate them only to initiatives that move measurable outcomes. Prioritization is not about doing everything well, it’s about doing the right things with excellence. Lack of direct impact to an outcome is a reason to put off something that might otherwise feel valuable. This principle combats diffused focus and ensures alignment between execution and impact.

Decisions Over Consensus

Speed and accountability thrive on clear ownership, not endless agreement. We aim for shared understanding, but when alignment stalls, a directly responsible individual decides and documents the rationale. This principle addresses decision latency and diffused accountability that can paralyze fast-moving teams.

Iterate the Plan, Don’t Improvise

A plan of record provides direction, context, and a shared basis for adaptation, even when uncertainty is high. We don’t “wing it” or wait for perfect information; we set an initial plan that others can react to, refine, or course-correct. This principle exists to counter the temptation to drift or improvise in ambiguity, clarity enables agility.

Measure What Matters

Every work item, every initiative, every process has something to measure. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth measuring. Measurements don’t need to be perfect – measure what you can and keep measurements visible and accessible to everyone involved. This principle keeps work grounded in measurable impact and drives action by focusing on moving metrics.