Clear Commitments

The Philosophy#

Equity isn’t only about what was contributed in the past — it’s also about clarity in how work is divided in the present. Silent assumptions about roles lead to misaligned expectations, resentment, and unfairness. Fairly Exact ties contributions to clear, documented roles and responsibilities.

👉 Fairness requires clarity — not just in math, but in commitments.

Default Rules#

• Role Clarity First: Before a block is activated, each contributor’s role and responsibilities are documented.
• Contributions Linked to Roles: Planned allocations are tied directly to the responsibilities someone agrees to carry.
• No Silent Assumptions: If it’s not written down, it can’t be assumed. Documentation is light but explicit.
• Adjustment if Roles Shift: If someone’s role expands or shrinks mid-block, allocations can be revisited at retro within the ±10-20% band for delivered work.
• Non-Delivery Is a Different Thing: The ±10-20% band covers good-faith variance in work that was delivered. It does not cover work that wasn’t. A contributor who doesn’t deliver their committed scope may be allocated to zero for that block.
• Documented Acceptance: Delivered impact and team judgment determine the final allocation through the configured acceptance process.

Why It Matters#

• Prevents Resentment: Contributors know exactly what they’re accountable for and how it ties to their equity.
• Strengthens Trust: Clear commitments reduce the space for misunderstandings.
• Keeps Ledger Honest: Contributions logged against explicit roles make the record of ownership transparent and defensible.
• Supports Growth: As teams expand, explicit roles scale better than informal agreements.

Example#

The team is preparing for a Landing Page Block. Sarah is explicitly responsible for design, Tom for copywriting, and Maria for development. Their allocations are tied to those responsibilities. At retro, if Tom delivers the copy but it needed more help than expected, the team can trim his allocation within the ±10-20% band — not because of hours logged, but because his role expectations were clear.

If Tom delivers nothing, that isn’t an adjustment. His allocation for that block can go to zero, because the delivery condition never lapsed. The band is for variance, not for absence.

In One Line#

Roles and Responsibilities Are Explicit = equity allocations are tied to documented commitments, preventing assumptions and ensuring fairness.