The DDSE Manifesto
Decision-Driven Software Engineering for the AI Era
Where Human Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence Collaborate
Table of contents
- Decision-Driven Software Engineering for the AI Era
- Our Beliefs
- The DDSE Principles
- The DDSE Promise
- Our Commitment
- Call to Action
- Next Steps
Our Beliefs
We believe that in the age of AI-assisted development, technical decisions are the cornerstone of sustainable software systems. While Agile methodologies revolutionized how we deliver software, they inadvertently left architectural governance as an afterthought. We propose a new paradigm that treats decisions as first-class citizens in the development process.
The DDSE Principles
1. Decisions Over Documentation
We value living decision records over static documentation. Every significant technical choice should be captured with its context, alternatives, and rationale—not as bureaucracy, but as the DNA of our system’s evolution.
2. Explicit Over Implicit
We make architectural and design decisions explicitly visible rather than hoping they emerge organically. AI tools and human developers alike benefit from clear guardrails and intent.
3. Evolution Over Stagnation
We embrace continuous decision refactoring—updating, superseding, and evolving our technical choices as we learn, just as we refactor code to maintain its health.
4. Alignment Over Chaos
We ensure human-AI collaboration through shared understanding. AI assistants should accelerate development within our architectural intent, not work against it.
5. Traceability Over Tribal Knowledge
We create transparent decision trails that survive team changes, management transitions, and organizational growth. Knowledge belongs to the system, not just individuals.
6. Lightweight Over Heavy
We practice just-enough governance—capturing decisions that matter without drowning in documentation overhead. Significance trumps completeness.
7. Continuous Over Phase-Gated
We integrate decision management into daily workflow rather than treating it as a separate governance activity. Decisions flow with development, not against it.
The DDSE Promise
By adopting Decision-Driven Software Engineering, teams will achieve:
- Reduced Architectural Drift: Systems that maintain coherence over time
- AI-Safe Development: AI tools that enhance rather than undermine architecture
- Accelerated Onboarding: New team members who understand system reasoning quickly
- Improved Maintainability: Code with clear decision lineage and rationale
- Enhanced Stakeholder Trust: Transparent technical choices and their business impact
- Sustainable Velocity: Technical decisions that enable rather than impede delivery
Our Commitment
We, the DDSE community, commit to:
- Open Collaboration: Sharing practices, tools, and learnings openly
- Continuous Improvement: Evolving DDSE based on real-world experience
- Inclusive Community: Welcoming diverse perspectives and use cases
- Practical Focus: Prioritizing real value over theoretical perfection
- Industry Advancement: Elevating software engineering practices for all
Call to Action
Software engineering stands at an inflection point. AI capabilities are transforming how we build systems, but without proper guidance, they risk creating architectural chaos. DDSE offers a path forward—one that harnesses AI’s power while preserving human architectural wisdom.
Join us in making technical decisions visible, valuable, and vital to software success.
Next Steps
📋 Understand the Framework
Study the complete technical specification for implementing DDSE methodology.
🧠Explore the History
Learn how decision documentation evolved in software engineering.
🚀 Start Implementing
Begin applying DDSE principles in your development team.
The DDSE Manifesto v1.0
Published: July 2025
By the DDSE Foundation Community