What We Stand For
User Mastery is a business that is firmly rooted in the Indie Startup Manifesto. We're all about creating genuine value for our customers and helping them in ways that transform their businesses, rather than chasing quick profits. We grow at a pace that feels right for us, allowing us to maintain quality and personal connections with everyone we serve. We strongly believe that business can be both purposeful and profitable. So, we're building an intentional business that reflects our values, puts people first, contributes positively to society and delivers lasting change while being independent and financially sustainable.
Company Manifesto
As indie founders, creators, and builders, we reject the conventional startup playbook that prioritises hypergrowth, venture capital dependency, and quick exits. Instead, we follow our own path guided by these principles.
Mission over exit
We build to make a meaningful difference in the world, not to cash out. Our business is a vehicle for realising our vision and creating lasting impact. We measure success by how well we fulfill our purpose, not by acquisition offers.
Customers and employees over investors
We answer to those we serve and those who help us serve them. We build tools and products that genuinely improve lives. We create workplaces where people thrive, grow, and feel valued. Our success is measured by customer delight and team fulfillment.
Profitability over valuations
We build a financially sustainable business that generate real value. We embrace the discipline of profitability as it grants us independence and resilience. We don't chase arbitrary valuation milestones or sacrifice long-term health for short-term gains.
The right size over relentless growth
We determine our own pace and scale. We grow intentionally, not frantically. Whether we serve a niche community or a global audience, we optimize for impact, sustainability, and the well-being of all stakeholders. We define success on our own terms.
Doing the right thing over "it's just business"
We refuse to separate our business decisions from our ethics. We consider the broader impact of our choices on society and the environment. We build businesses that reflect our values and contribute positively to the world.
Transparency over optics
We communicate honestly with our customers, team members, and communities. We share our successes and failures openly. We build in public and learn in public. We prioritize authentic relationships over crafted appearances.
Sustainability over short-term thinking
We build for the long haul. We make decisions considering their impact not just on the next quarter, but on the next decade. We create businesses that can thrive for generations, not just until the next funding round.
Build In Public Manifesto
Building in Public isn't just simply a strategy for us—it's a core philosophy that governs how we create, connect, and grow. In alignment with our Company Manifesto, we embrace transparency in our journey with these guiding principles.
Process over perfection
We share our work as it unfolds, not just the polished final product. We celebrate the messy middle, the iterations, and the lessons learned along the way. By revealing our process, we demystify creation and inspire others to begin their own journey.
Authenticity over curation
We show up as our genuine selves. We share real struggles alongside victories. We're honest about our limitations and challenges. This vulnerability serves to create deeper and more meaningful connections we cannot achieve otherwise.
Community over audience
We don't treat people as passive consumers of our creations. We invite them into conversation, collaboration, and co-creation. We build relationships, not just followings. We value engagement over vanity metrics.
Learning in public over knowing it all
We openly admit what we don't know and document our learning process. We use the platforms available to us and the ones we build ourselves to ask questions, experiment, and grow. We normalise continuous improvement rather than pretending expertise we haven't earned.
Generosity over scarcity
We freely share insights, lessons, and resources. We believe that knowledge grows when shared, and that lifting others strengthens us and the entire ecosystem. We contribute to the commons rather than hoarding our wisdom.
Consistency over virality
We show up regularly with valuable contributions rather than chasing viral moments. We build trust through reliability and sustained presence. We focus on serving our community over time, not grabbing fleeting attention.
Story over stats
We share the human narratives behind our numbers. We contextualise our metrics within our broader mission and journey. We help others see beyond the dashboard to understand the meaning behind the measurements.
Accountability over isolation
We make public commitments that help us stay on track. We leverage community support to overcome obstacles. We recognise that transparency creates natural accountability that drives progress.
Embracing Vulnerability
Building in Public isn't always comfortable—it requires courage to share unfinished work, admit mistakes, and open ourselves to feedback. But through this practice, we not only build better products, but also more meaningful connections, more resilient businesses, and more authentic lives.
Collaborative Creation
By embracing this approach, we transform the traditionally solitary act of creation into a communal experience that benefits everyone involved. We prove that success doesn't require secrecy, and that our greatest competitive advantage is our willingness to share our unique journey.