What is Charc?

"Charc" is short for "charging arc". It has its origins in kayaking, specifically in the discipline of squirt boating, but the philosophy of Charc extends beyond the world of kayaking. The proper charging arc does not take a kayaker directly from Point A to Point B, but it places the kayaker in the right place, at the right time, with the right momentum. Charc strives for a balance among the following concepts:

• Ambition vs. Skill. We learn by pushing ourselves beyond our previous experience, but pushing too far puts everyone in jeopardy.
• Acting vs. Sensing. We believe in starting early, as soon as we have requirements defined. However, once we become involved, we may notice that some requirements become obsolete or less important. When this happens, we alert the customer so that they can re-evaluate their priorities.
• Commitment vs. Adaptability. Commitment is necessary to meet deadlines, but needs change as projects evolve. We understand the connection between changing requirements and moving deadlines, and we let the customer decide which is more important.
• Seriousness vs. Fun! We do software development because we enjoy it. We are serious about quality, efficiency, deadlines, and customer satisfaction, but not at the expense of our health, well-being or personal lives.

At Charcware, we believe that the philosophy of Charc is a good model for the software business. In business, as in kayaking, timing is everything. There is a time to prepare, and a time to act; it is important to know when it is time to commit to action. We strive to follow the philosophy of Charc in all aspects of our business.