Manifesto

statement of philosophy behind a group, Movement, product, business, individual, etc.

Martin Cagan uses a product Manifesto. A Manifesto is a public declaration of principles, beliefs and intentions... Coming up with a Manifesto means deciding what is important to you, and what is incidental. What is strategic and fundamental, and what is simply tactical and temporary. There were other benefits to coming up with this Manifesto. The process served as a way for me to get to the DNA of this company, and what the founders hoped to achieve. It also serves as a framework for evaluating the many alternatives in front of every product and company. A Manifesto is not a list of features, and in fact not tied to any one product incarnation. In this sense, it is most aligned with a Product Strategy for an entire Product Line, or with a company Mission statement for a Start Up. A good Manifesto serves as the basis or foundation for inspiring product features, as well as the end consumer. Whether you choose to go public with your Manifesto depends on your purpose.

often includes an explicit contrast to some more-mainstream position

Part of the attraction of the manifesto is that it remains a surprisingly complex and often paradoxical genre: flippant and sincere, prickly and smooth, logical and absurd, material and immaterial, shallow and profound. (with 10 rules)

This archive is an academic resource dedicated to aggregating and cataloging manifestos that fall under two basic criteria. 1) The Digital Manifesto Archive features manifestos that focus on the political and cultural dimensions of digital life. 2) The Digital Manifesto Archive features manifestos that are written, or are primarily disseminated, online.

Some friends note: Manifestos are exhortative -- not just about pithy clarity or wisdom, but about spurring action... intended to be guide and spur to action, either personal or group... I find they often have three parts: (1) This is what's happening, (2) This is what it means, (3) This is what to do about it.

mine: Fractally Generative Pattern Language, Simplest Thing, Less Bullshit Living, Agile Product Development