Contents

DISCLAIMER AND WARNING FROM THE AUTHORS

This work is a collection of principles, methods, memes, and provocations born within an experimental approach to project management known as the Digital Value Model (dVM). It is not the ultimate truth, but rather a compendium of our mistakes, bruises, and failures.

At the time of this publication, the model has been tested for two years in several closed groups. There are already some initial results, but it is far too early to speak of statistical significance or representativeness — the cohort of participants is too small, and the data still require verification and checks for systematic error. In the absence of control groups and randomization, we refrain from categorical conclusions and operate only with qualitative, not quantitative, insights.

One thing is clear: dVM is “luxury” — available only to those ready to embrace uncertainty and work within methodological chaos.

The authors and publisher hereby disclaim any and all responsibility for:

Any direct or indirect consequences, losses, or damages resulting from the application, misapplication, or misunderstanding of the methods and ideas presented here.

Broken relationships with clients, investors, stakeholders, or colleagues; collapsed teams; voluntary or forced dismissals of employees unable to survive the dVM-chaos; financial losses and reputational risks.

Your professional and existential burnout, psychological trauma, damaged psyche, loss of motivation, loss of faith in humanity, or other forms of mental discomfort.

Somatic consequences: bile overflow, nausea, loss of potency, hair loss, insomnia, boiling of indignant reason, and other adverse bodily reactions.

Irrecoverable loss of time wasted on reading, pondering, or engaging in meaningless arguments about this methodology.

The authors also bear no discursive, legal, or karmic responsibility for your behavior after reading this book and are under no obligation to explain “what they meant.”

WARNING: The Digital Value Model (dVM) is a naked live wire. It does not incite, ignite, or call for anything. It merely shows what is beautiful and/or ugly.

For whom it is meant: Strong professionals and teams able to distinguish metaphor from instruction, a joke from a directive, and cynicism from common sense. For those who can filter noise and adapt absurdity to their own context.

For whom it is not: The foolish, the naive, the weak of spirit, the morally unstable, and those who seek simple answers and step-by-step instructions. For them, dVM will burn out neurons, wreck careers, and spit out the unprepared user.

This work contains provocative, unconventional, and intentionally destructive approaches, and may include scenes of intellectual violence and explicit language.

Do not apply this model thoughtlessly. In fact, do not apply it at all. You have been warned.

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Introduction to dVM

Dynamic Value Model: A New Operating System for Modern Teams

In the world of project management, methodologies abound — each with its own strengths and blind spots. Some champion agility, others swear by structure.

Agile, Scrum, Kanban, Lean, XP — all promise adaptation, efficiency, and waste reduction.

Waterfall, CPM, CCPM — offer predictability for those who plan years ahead and march through phases with military precision.

But what if both approaches have limits?

What happens when Agile descends into chaos, and Waterfall drowns in bureaucracy?

Meet dVM — Digital Value Model.

This is not just another methodology.

It’s a practical operating system for teams that value results over rituals, outcomes over optics, and real value over process theater.

dVM absorbs the best of both agile and waterfall worlds — with one critical rule:

If it blocks progress, it goes to the trash.

No exceptions.

A Brief (and Slightly Embarrassing) Origin Story

The first version of dVM was called Degeneracy Vegetables Model — purely for laughs.

But when analysts, DevOps engineers, team leads, QA specialists, UX designers, and other guardians of product sanity realized they had stumbled upon a universal framework, it was time to get serious.

What began as a joke became a survival kit for teams drowning in stand-ups, retrospectives, and Jira tickets that go nowhere.

Today, dVM is a proven tool that moves teams forward — without unnecessary ceremonies, pointless meetings, or the illusion of productivity.

What Does dVM Deliver?

✔ Balance — between Agile’s chaos and Waterfall’s rigidity

✔ Focus — on value, not process masturbation

✔ Flexibility where it matters, structure where it counts

✔ Real metrics and clear success criteria — no vanity KPIs

In this guide, we’ll unpack the core principles of dVM and show why it’s not just an alternative — it’s the next level of project leadership.

The dVM Mindset

dVM is built for a world where:

— Deadlines float.

— Tasks vanish.

— Products emerge from chaos.

— And the only constant is change.

It’s not about doing things perfectly.

It’s about cutting the noise, killing the waste, and delivering what actually matters — fast.

Welcome to the future of work.

Welcome to dVM.

Core Principles of dVM

Vibe Is Everything

In dVM, vibe is the leading indicator of success.

If the atmosphere is stale, the project is already dead — no matter how perfect the roadmap or how aggressive the deadline.

Team morale is more important than frameworks, ceremonies, or even deliverables.

Because no process can save a team that has lost its will to move.

“If the vibe is off, nothing else matters.”

Iteration for the Sake of It? Go to Hell

dVM rejects ritualistic iteration — the kind of sprinting in place that passes for progress in many Agile teams.

We don’t iterate to feel productive.

We iterate to move forward.

If a task doesn’t push value, speed, or clarity — it’s not just low priority.

It’s waste.

And waste goes straight into the bin.

If You Didn’t Hide — You’re the One to Blame

Change is constant.

Markets shift.

Requirements mutate.

Clients change their minds — again.

In dVM, there’s no time for excuses.

You either adapt — or you end up cleaning the backlog of eternity.

Survival belongs to the agile, not the complacent.

Agile Purists, Step Out

Methodologies without soul are just process masturbation.

Endless retrospectives.

Jira tickets that live forever.

Stand-ups that solve nothing.

dVM doesn’t need rituals.

It needs motion.

Decisions are made in real conversations — not in soulless reports.

Ideas are challenged — not worshipped.

“Is this bullshit?”

That’s the first question every idea must answer.

And if the answer is yes — kill it.

Before it kills the project.

Ultra-Violence: A Methodology of Pressure

In dVM, violence isn’t literal.

It’s methodological.

We call it Ultra-Violence — a controlled, intentional application of pressure to accelerate learning, expose weaknesses, and force decisions that would otherwise take months of polite discussion.

Why It Works

Context justifies intensity.

When a deadline burns because of last-minute changes, a sharp reaction isn’t toxicity — it’s accountability.

Pressure builds cohesion.

Teams that endure stress together — trust each other.

Humor disarms toxicity.

When you call your process “epic escalation mode”, you’re not toxic — you’re meta-ironic.

“We’re not late. We’re increasing the epicness level.”

This is Rorschach meets Lean Startup — brutal clarity wrapped in dark humor.

1. Hypotheses Under Pressure

Traditional hypothesis validation is slow:

Gather data.

Run surveys.

Hold alignment meetings.

Run cautious A/B tests.

dVM flips the script.

We test ideas under extreme pressure — because real markets are extreme.

The dVM Approach:

Short timelines: If a hypothesis can’t survive 48 hours of brutal execution, it dies.

Brutal questioning: Every feature is grilled: “Why does this exist? Who needs it? What pain does it solve?”

Shock therapy: Users are exposed to raw, unfinished versions of the product — not to “get feedback”, but to trigger real reactions.

Example: Instead of a soft A/B test, we roll out a radical UI change without warning.

If users adapt — the hypothesis stands.

If they revolt — we roll back. With insights.

Speed wins. Perfection loses.

2. Customer Development at the Edge of Collapse

In dVM, customer interviews are stress tests.

We don’t ask: “What do you think?”

We ask: “What pisses you off the most?”

Or: “Which feature would you pay for — right now?”

The Rules:

Only hard truths allowed.

No vague praise. No “it’s nice”. Only pain points.

Forced exposure: Customers use the product in its worst state — to reveal real needs, not polite suggestions.

Empathy through crisis: We don’t just listen — we create conditions where users must react honestly.

Example: Before launching a new interface, we give power users a closed beta — with no instructions.

Who breaks first? That’s our weakest link.

3. Product Development Through Chaos

Product development in dVM is not Waterfall.

It’s not even Agile.

It’s controlled chaos — where progress is measured by motion, not documentation.

The dVM Rules:

Ship until someone screams.

If no one in Slack is yelling — you’re not moving fast enough.

Bugs are features.

If users start using a bug on purpose, it’s not a bug. It’s a feature that needs a better name.

Code should be feared.

If a piece of code becomes legendary — don’t refactor it.

Treat it as sacred legacy.

Example: A new API is launched without documentation.

Only those who reverse-engineer it can use it.

This isn’t dysfunction — it’s natural selection.

4. Growth Through Suffering

In dVM, growth comes from pain — but pain with purpose.

We don’t suffer for fun.

We suffer to get better.

The dVM Way:

Critique at maximum intensity:

Every mistake is dissected — so it never happens again.

Trial by fire:

New hires are thrown into the most critical projects.

They either survive — or become an internal legend.

Zero pity:

If you don’t like being roasted for bad code — write better code.

Example: A junior dev writes a slow SQL query.

As a gift, they get a dataset of 10 million records and the full server load log.

Lesson learned. Forever.

Conclusion: dVM as a School of Radical Growth.

Ultra-Violence in dVM is not about chaos for chaos’ sake.

It’s about:

✔ Fast selection of winning ideas

✔ Honest, brutal feedback

✔ Constant pressure that makes teams stronger

✔ Cultivating mastery through pain

Yes, it’s extreme.

But in a world of relentless competition and shrinking timelines, moderation is failure.

dVM doesn’t promise comfort. It promises dominance.

dVM Team Structure

Roles, Rituals, and Controlled Chaos

dVM thrives in teams of 7 to 25 people. This size allows for maximum agility, deep collaboration, and resilie