Exeuδ Company Values

Since I am running a business with the stated goal of ‘building a better web’, it falls to me to describe the values and ethics of the organisation I created. It is, after all, a legal person.

Not only do I stand by my rousing, value-laden claim of ‘better technology’ that adorns the homepage of this immersive technology company¹, I shall also wriggle myself further into the quicksand by saying that no technology is values neutral² and anyone in charge of its development has a duty to lay out the values that go into making it. I’m looking at you, social media.

So, what do I mean by ‘better’ and what are this company’s values?

Let’s begin with the company’s name, Exeuδ, which is a contraction and adaptation of the ancient Greek phrase ‘ἐκ εὐδαιμονίας’ meaning ‘from eudaimonia’ or ‘out of bliss.’ Described by Aristotle, the concept of eudaimonia³ represents the highest form of human flourishing. It emphasizes long-term well-being and the cultivation of positive virtues and habits. This notion underpins all aspects of Exeuδ’s work.

On a practical level, eudaimonia is an idea in motion — an activity, rather than a fixed construct — that integrates inner purpose with external impact. It involves strategic practices, such as visioning and evaluation, as well as organisational virtues, such as integrity and fairness. Eudaimonia represents the practical realisation of a thriving, sustainable organisation, balancing individual contributions with the shared goals and values that allow the organisation to have meaningful and enduring impact.

The final letter of the name, a Greek ‘delta’, was chosen partly as a nod to this tradition, but also because it symbolises, in scientific notation, an incremental change in a system or process. This reflects our commitment to scientific, evidence-based practice, and our understanding that meaningful change emerges through persistent, iterative action within the organisational landscape.

Getting to the ethically-sourced meat of this value sandwich, there are three attitudes that makes up the core of Exeuδ’s moral stance. These are agency, frugality and plurality. I’ll explain what each one means and how it affects the practices and decision-making within the organisation.

I should mention that these attitudes are neither isolated nor static. They form an overall perspective on how to move forward as best as possible recognising that, having stepped forward, our point of view is different and our priorities and opportunities for action may change. In this way, we maintain flexibility toward the future as well as internal consistency.

Agency

This refers to the company’s role as both moral agent and facilitator of informed choice-making, influencing the wider social system⁴. In both cases, this happens through communication in its many forms, whether that is interpersonal conversation, broadcast information, or even the release of software. Any expression that impacts our social environment is an act of communication. Though this may seem an overly broad starting point, it is the basis from which an assessment of positive, conscientious action arises.

As well as recognising the unique contribution of each person in the organisation, this attitude also includes communication from the company as an entity. It is important to note that this is constrained by, but not limited to, the legal framework inside which it operates, and will include activities such as:

Clear and open communication toward shared understanding
Advocacy for positive change, both internally and externally
The development and maintenance of healthy partnerships
The avoidance of dark patterns⁵ and the use of bright ones⁶

Frugality

More than just the efficient use of resources, this is an attitude resembling the Japanese notion of ken’yaku (倹約), and includes minimising wasted time and effort, repurposing existing tools and choosing to spend money on those things that offer the greatest long-term benefit, rather than simply cutting costs⁷. At a management level, it involves an attitude of respectfulness towards the factors that enable productivity, foremost the well-being of the people who put their time into making it. In terms of the day-to-day operation of Exeuδ, this involves:

Avoiding unnecessary meetings and bureaucracy
Avoiding the creation of duplicate or frivolous websites
Writing modular code that can be reused as widely as possible
Using as little computation as possible for a given function
Emphasising economic sustainability over profit maximisation

Plurality

This is a commitment to the diversification of perspective, emphasising the inclusion and assimilation of new ideas with the goal of building a more nuanced view of the social and technological environment in which the company operates⁸. It is important to realise that this attitude is not universally accepting — it has a clear preference for ideas that extend, deepen or widen the current understanding and a resistance to those that divide, stereotype or otherwise undermine this process or the organisation.

Plurality is, by far, the most difficult of the attitudes to cultivate and maintain, because it requires persistent humility and reflection, seeking to understand the limitations and barriers that prevent meaningful development and actively persuing ideas that, at first, might seem contrary to established beliefs and practices. On a practical level, plurality means:

Being attentive to feedback, from both clients and employees
Pro-actively exploring ideas that coherently challenge existing models
Steel-manning opposing ideas and exploring ways to integrate them
Carrying out multiple-framing of complex ideas and situations
A dedication to persistent betterment of the organisation

Appreciating that “social reality is incomprehensibly complex”⁴ means that it is not possible to anticipate all of the impacts this organisation will have — this means that we are always on the lookout for ways to improve and incorporate new ideas. In this spirit, I welcome thoughtful critique on the values expressed in this article. You can get in touch via the homepage¹.

As for the actual services that Exeuδ offers, I will leave it to you to discover whether or not they have value to you. This article is not an attempt to sell you anything; it is here to demonstrate that there is a more transparent, ethical and honest way to bring innovation to the web and to the world.