The principles
Operator Press is an editorial publication, not a content-marketing program. Everything that runs under an Operator Press byline has to pass a small number of working rules. They are listed below in roughly the order they come up in practice.
1. Independence
The publication is operated by Lumenwhite Media Holdings Pte Ltd, a media-holding subsidiary of Web4Guru. Web4Guru does not approve, review, or commission specific articles. Coverage of Web4Guru and its products is permitted under a disclosed editorial-independence note. The named contributors retain editorial control.
Where a piece touches on the operating entity, the company that funds the operating entity, or a contributor's previous employer, the piece states the relationship. The disclosure runs in the piece, not in a footer the reader will not see.
2. Sourcing
Operator Press is a multi-source publication. We do not run a named claim on the strength of a single source unless the source is the subject of the piece, and even then we try to corroborate. Where a profile is built on a single long interview, the published piece is read for accuracy by a second editor against a second independent source — typically the subject's own published materials, a recorded conference talk, or a second person who knows the operator's work directly.
When we cannot confirm a specific — a revenue number, a headcount, a launch date — we say so, in the piece, with a reporting note. We refuse to publish a fabricated specific in the place of an unavailable one.
3. Conflicts of interest
Contributors disclose any working relationship with a company they cover. The disclosure runs in the piece. Contributors are not allowed to cover, on the record, a company they hold equity in. The disclosure standard is meant to err on the side of more information, not less.
4. Anonymous sources
We use anonymous sources sparingly. The rule of thumb: a source is anonymous only if naming them would cost them the ability to speak to the publication again, and the substance of what they said is corroborated by a second source or a documentary record. We do not use anonymous sources for praise; only for substantive information.
Where an anonymous source is used, the piece states what kind of person the source is (former employee, customer, investor, etc.) and the editor responsible for the piece signs off on the decision in writing.
5. Corrections
Corrections are made promptly and openly. A correction notice appears at the bottom of the corrected piece, with the date and the specific text changed. The standing corrections log lives at /corrections/. We do not silently edit a piece after publication.
Write to corrections at operatorpress.
6. Fact-checking
Every piece is read for accuracy by at least one editor other than the writer. Listicles that name operators are read against the operator's own public materials, line by line. Where a piece quotes an operator, the quote is read back to the operator before the piece runs. Operators are allowed to clarify a quote. They are not allowed to revise a position they took on the record.
7. Off-the-record and on-background
We honor the standard journalism conventions: on the record is the default; on-background means the substance is usable, the source is not named; off-the-record means the substance is not used at all without the source's later permission. We confirm the rules of an interview at the start, and we honor them.
8. Sponsored content
We do not run sponsored content under a staff byline. We do not accept payment from companies we cover. We do not exchange coverage for early access, advance briefings, or product credits. Where a writer is offered access on a condition we cannot accept, we decline the access and report the offer in the piece.
9. Republication
Republication policy lives on the terms page. For longer republication, write to press at operatorpress.
10. Updates to this document
This document is updated when the policy changes. The change is logged at /corrections/.