Creating the Shop Built projects (TOKO and AROS) has taught me so much. One thing that stands out is how crucial it is to keep my team running as smoothly as possible to create truly fantastic products.

I’ve been hugely inspired by Tom Sachs. Tom is an artist living and working in New York, and he runs a studio shop with a team of around 20 people. While my team is much smaller, his 10 Bullets philosophy has deeply influenced how I’ve run my own shop for years.

This holiday season, I took a complete break from the shop and went on a 100% digital detox. What I couldn’t control, though, was my brain—it kept turning over the idea of creating my own 10 Bullets. Inspired by Sachs, as well as Adam Savage, Van Neistat, and even Carmen Berzatto (a.k.a. "The Bear"), I spent the entire holiday refining my list.

The timing felt perfect. With a new team member joining us at the end of January, I wanted to ensure our shop runs smoothly and that good habits are firmly in place. This way, the new member will have the easiest possible start and immediate access to what I call the "shop code."
 

Here is my initial draft of the Jens Ansø 10 Bullets

This list feels so important to me that I even broke one of my cardinal rules: I added a second sticker to my current notebook—something I never do, as my rule is “strictly one sticker only.”

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of 10 Bullets, I strongly recommend watching Tom Sachs’ video or visiting his website.

Some of my Bullets may feel familiar if you know Sachs' list, but others might leave you puzzled. I promise I’ll dive into each one in future newsletters to explain their significance and how they shape the way we work. For now, though, I’ll leave you with a bit of mystery. Do you have your own “code” you follow? If you do I would love to hear about it!