What We Believe
Ten principles that guide how we build, hire, ship, and show up every day. They aren't aspirational posters\u2014they're operating decisions.
User Obsession First
Start every decision with the customer. Everything else follows.
Work backwards from real user needs and feedback. Prioritize delighting them over internal convenience. Talk to users regularly. Say no to features that don't serve them, even if they're exciting internally.
Why it matters: The strongest cultures anchor everything in external impact rather than ego or process. This prevents drift and builds lasting trust.
Hire and Keep Only the Best
Raise the bar with every hire and every review.
Insist on high talent density—only bring in and keep A-players who elevate the team. Give honest, frequent feedback. Invest in growth for those who show potential, but don't lower standards.
Why it matters: High standards are contagious; mediocre ones spread faster. This is the foundation that makes freedom and autonomy possible without chaos.
Act Like an Owner
Take full ownership. Freedom comes with responsibility.
Think long-term. Treat company resources as your own. Proactively solve problems outside your role. Celebrate ownership of both wins and failures. Avoid "that's not my job."
Why it matters: It turns employees into entrepreneurs and scales decision-making without bureaucracy.
Speak with Radical Candor
Be transparent, kind, and direct. No politics, no bullshit.
Give and seek direct feedback regularly. Assume good intent. Surface disagreements early. Share information openly by default. Challenge ideas without attacking people.
Why it matters: Hidden issues kill momentum and trust. Radical candor plus psychological safety creates real idea meritocracy.
Bias for Action & Iteration
Move fast, ship small, learn from real feedback.
Make reversible decisions quickly. Prototype and test early. Embrace rapid, deliberate iteration based on data—not endless debate. Prioritize progress over perfection.
Why it matters: Speed compounds learning and competitive advantage in uncertain environments.
Obsess Over Craft & Simplicity
Do fewer things exceptionally well. Simplify relentlessly.
Focus on quality and beauty in work—code, docs, design, processes. Eliminate unnecessary complexity. Say no to good-but-not-great ideas. Use constraints to spark creativity.
Why it matters: Complexity is the silent killer of velocity and clarity. Craft signals care—for users and for the work itself.
Stay Curious & Learn Relentlessly
Never stop growing. Question assumptions and seek disconfirming data.
Read, experiment, and seek diverse perspectives. Admit what you don't know. Run blameless post-mortems. Treat failures as tuition. Stay macro-optimistic but micro-pessimistic.
Why it matters: Static knowledge becomes a liability. Curiosity fuels adaptation and innovation.
Deliver Results with Backbone
Think long-term, disagree respectfully, then commit fully and execute.
Focus on measurable outcomes, not activity. Have conviction and "disagree and commit." Push through obstacles with determination. Hold yourself and others accountable to high standards without excuses.
Why it matters: Great cultures balance debate with decisive execution—no endless consensus or quiet quitting on decisions.
Collaborate Without Ego
Play as a team. Amplify others. Psychological safety is non-negotiable.
Give credit generously. Help others succeed. No lone heroes or credit-hoarding. Build belonging through inclusion and respect. Make it safe to take risks and admit mistakes.
Why it matters: Complex work requires collective intelligence. Ego kills collaboration; safety unlocks it.
Build Sustainable Excellence
High standards + meaningful work + real life. Frugality, balance, and long-term thinking.
Avoid burnout—protect sustainable pace. Be resourceful with resources. Care about broader impact: team, community, environment. Invest in well-being alongside performance.
Why it matters: Intensity without sustainability leads to churn. The best cultures last because they treat people as humans, not resources.
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
These principles are informed by the best of Amazon, Netflix, Stripe, Atlassian, GitLab, Basecamp, Bridgewater, IDEO, and others who proved that culture is strategy. We took what resonated, discarded what didn't fit, and shaped them into something authentically ours.
Culture isn't what you say. It's what you tolerate, reward, and repeat.
Sound like your kind of place?
We're building something meaningful and we want people who care about the work.