Problem: When information is spread across different places, it’s easy for teams to get confused or miss updates.

Solution: Create a Single Source of Truth, a central spot for all information, so everyone can find what they need without searching multiple places.

Intro:

To make information universally accessible, our system organizes every detail—policies, objectives, workflows, instructions, values, and more—into a single, reliable knowledge system known as a Single Source of Truth (SSoT).

Tools:

• Clarity fuels better decisions
• When there’s only one source of truth, updates are straightforward—everyone’s on the same page, no confusion, no missteps.
• Whenever you find yourself doing something twice, write down exactly what it is that you did.
• Whenever someone asks a question, write down the answer.
• Flexibility meets transparency
• Teams choose the best medium for their work, but transparency is paramount.
• Each team is responsible for cross-linking and sharing their key resources, making them accessible across the organization—no barriers, just seamless access.
• Empowered teams, minimal distractions
• This system eliminates the need for constant updates, memos, or status checks.
• With all guidance easily accessible and editable, leadership can scale without dependency, enabling everyone to work confidently and independently. We call this approach handbook-first.
• The only way to prevent politics is to never allow lobbying to be successful, and the only way to do this is to have a written policy about as many situations as possible, particularly around compensation, raises, and promotions. Apply this policy to all team members, all the time.
• Document before announcing
• Rather than documenting after changes, we capture solutions in a universally accessible handbook before announcing them.
• This ensures knowledge is complete and shared, avoiding the common pitfalls of undocumented updates.
• Anyone who wants to discuss an issue should write it up (along with the desired solution) ahead of time. Invite comments before the meeting. Do not allow people to bring up an issue they haven’t already written up. (Transparent Feedback and Radical Candor)
• Documentation that drives clarity
• This isn’t about endless documentation; it’s about consistency. Solutions are recorded as the single source of truth, so each update aligns with the bigger picture.
• Teams handle documentation with precision, just as editors do with a style guide, ensuring continuity across the organization.
• Scaling communication as teams grow
• Small teams can get by with Slack and emails, but as teams scale, relying on these channels alone becomes chaotic.
• Structured documentation isn’t just helpful—it’s essential for growth and alignment.
• Structured documentation becomes crucial as teams scale.
• As a organization grows, structured documentation is the backbone of sustainable progress.
• Sales and retention matter, but so does a robust documentation culture to support long-term success.
• Efficient, handbook-first culture.
• A centralized source of truth prevents redundant questions, unnecessary meetings, and fragmented information.
• In a well-documented organization, communication flows smoothly, minimizing interruptions and making growth feel effortless.
• 90-day Slack history retention.
• Keeping Slack history short keeps it as a real-time messaging tool—not a project management crutch.
• This encourages teams to use the official source of truth, creating a genuinely asynchronous workflow.
• Retention policies that support knowledge retention
• Without strict retention, teams rely on message history, which leads to knowledge gaps.
• A set retention policy encourages updates in a universal location, reinforcing a culture of open, accessible knowledge.
• Slack for socializing, documentation for substance.
• Keeping Slack for informal chats might be challenging at first, but it’s necessary.
• Without this, real-time chatter becomes a replacement for lasting documentation, leading to chaos over time.
• Building a handbook-first culture isn’t an all-or-nothing project.
• We aren’t aiming for a complete handbook before launch—our goal is to introduce and expand it gradually, refining it as we grow.
• Adopt a gradual approach for lasting success.
• For established companies, iteratively build the handbook while maintaining day-to-day operations. Small steps make the shift in culture manageable, fostering smooth integration across the organization.
• A living, evolving handbook.
• No handbook is ever “complete.” Instead, it grows and adapts with each lesson learned, improving resilience and fostering a proactive response to challenges.
• Empowering contributions from day one
• Any team member, even new hires, should feel empowered to contribute.
• Immediate involvement in documentation builds engagement and aligns them with organization culture from the start.
• Instilling documentation as a core value.
• Teams should see it as a responsibility: if a solution isn’t documented, it needs to be. This mindset sustains continuous growth and clarity.
• A team-driven documentation culture.
• Ideally, every team member contributes to a culture of “writing things down.” For established teams, consider embedding editors or “scribes” to capture insights and streamline knowledge sharing.
• Dedicated editorial roles elevate knowledge sharing.
• Former journalists or skilled editors bring storytelling and structure, turning scattered notes into cohesive, valuable handbook content. This ongoing investment enhances efficiency and knowledge retention.