1. Family always comes before business.
Illness, death, children, partner, parents — these always take priority. Business waits. We understand, because we live this way too. We expect the same understanding when it hits us.
Business etiquette of the LOVE world
These are our internal rules — published openly so anyone considering working with us can read them. Nothing personal, nothing against anyone. Just how we work.
2. Technical issues are part of the game.
Printers break, servers go down, internet drops, batteries die. No one makes mistakes on purpose. A calm note beats resentment. We aren't perfectionists — we're humans building tools for humans.
3. An email demands an email reply.
If we send a question by email, we expect an answer by email — clear, with YES or NO, with a number, with a date. Not a phone call where words evaporate that no one remembers. Email is on the record. Phone is fog. Whoever answers a written question with a call is dodging responsibility.
4. A word is a coin.
Once spoken, it must hold its weight. If we can't hold it, we say so immediately — not three weeks later with a half-apology. A broken word is a devalued coin — and that kind of business is devalued business.
5. No pressure, no rushing.
Whoever rushes you usually rushes you into a mistake. Deadlines that aren't ours aren't our deadlines. If someone pushes with "by Monday, or else…", that isn't a partner — that's a risk manager seeing us as exposure. That's not a foundation for working together.
6. Healthy anger is allowed.
Anger that burns so the flame of honour doesn't go out is righteous anger. It isn't there to destroy — it's there to guard a line. We don't apologise for it when fundamentals are at stake. We hit the keyboard, not people.
7. Ego that serves, not ego that rules.
An ego that keeps the spine straight is good. An ego that needs the last word is poison. With colleagues and partners we check: are we deciding from principle or from not wanting to lose? If the latter, we sleep on it.
8. End partnerships without hatred.
When a partnership ends, we say it neutrally: "differences in working style, thank you, all the best." No names, no reasons in public. The reason stays in our experience and is passed to the next person who receives a similar email.
"Whoever rushes you usually rushes you into a mistake. A word is a coin. Family before business. Email demands email."
— internal LOVE principle, public
