Principles

This page is a draft proposal. Please send any comments to [1] or to the Project VRM mailing list.

Charter

Create an ecosystem of tools, protocols, and services that help users manage vendor relationships.

Principles

1. User control
2. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (Don't Reinvent the Wheel)
3. Reciprocity & Everybody Wins
4. Leverage network effects
5. Relationships are more than transactions
6. Solve real-world problems

User control

Work from the perspective of the end-user. Users should control who, how, and what happens throughout the entire process. The process should create value for the user first, vendors and others second. Note that by creating value for users, there should be plenty to go around. See Reciprocity.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Don't Reinvent the Wheel. A lot of technology and solutions have already been developed to address various pieces of our online world. When possible, reuse existing tech and learn from prior experiences. That means researching what has already been done and integrating the past whenever possible.

Reciprocity & Everybody Wins

VRM should create value for everyone in the value chain. Although the focus is on the user (see User-centricity), each link in the relationship should come out better after implementing a VRM Protocol. When everbody wins, it will be much easier to convince everyone to participate.

Leverage network effects

Network effects scale as more people participate. Whenever possible, build systems with this characteristic. In particular, reducing transaction costs across many different transactions can dramatically change a market, even when those costs are relatively small part of each transaction. So, use network effects to leverage the value of our efforts as far and wide as possible.

Relationships are more than transactions

Although vendor relationships are ultimately bounded by transactions, they begin well before and continue well after. Build systems that enable rich, long-lived relationships in ways that create real value.

Solve real-world problems

People have lots of challenges and frustrations with existing sales, shopping, and support systems. Pick one and re-invent it from a user perspective. If putting the user in control creates real value with minimal investment by the vendor, we have a good chance of getting traction with both users and vendors.

This is an early draft. I encourage corrections and addendums. Especially from our fearless leader. =) Joe.andrieu 00:29, 2 February 2007 (EST)