Our values

We believe in a culture of fast and responsible execution, where speed and safety are not a trade-off. Responsible execution enables speed. Decisions are made at the lowest level possible where the right knowledge exists. A decision made is progress made. Action items and deliverables should have time horizons of days, not weeks.

Our customers should consistently feel that we are, hands down, their best vendor because our products and training are the best in the market. That means we help our customers make quick, regular, and measurable progress. All decisions should start with the customer in mind, beginning with a commitment to “understand the other side.” Customers can be external or internal depending on the team.

Each person on the team should be able to clearly answer the question “Am I doing the best work of my life?” A key component of “best work” is the quality of that work. We emphasize a hygienic, professional approach to everything from processes to our own attitudes. In communication, quality means being concise, thoughtful, and direct.

Winning matters, and we can win when we row as one. Rowing as one means we have high individual output while remaining in sync with our team and the company as a whole. Another aspect of high output is knowing that busyness doesn’t mean progress. We should be very sensitive to “work theater.”

We should be the best in our respective domains. If we are not, we should be curious and seek out ways to get there. There is a base expectation that we have a strong technical command over our areas of work.

We are a self-directed team and trust one another to get our work done. We believe that some of our best work is done quietly and alone. With this comes much greater responsibility to self-regulate and take responsibility for reaching out to others when in need of help or support. When someone isn’t pulling their weight on a self-managed team, everyone suffers.

We are thoughtful about how we use resources. Financially, a business is revenue minus expenses; all expenses should provide high value. There is also a decision and time cost, so if the resource on the line is small, the decision should be quick. We should be very skeptical of meetings, especially large ones or ones that have nebulous goals like “catching up.”

Building a company, especially a high-growth technology company, is tough. With a lighthearted attitude, it also becomes a fun and gratifying experience that we can be excited about and look back on fondly. Laughter breeds authenticity, while seriousness invites superficiality. If you’re not laughing frequently, it’s a sign that something is wrong.

Assume good intent, support those around you, and create positive momentum by choosing optimism over cynicism. Doing so lifts the energy of everyone.

If something isn’t written down and followed up on, it might as well never have happened. We should have notes and action items with clear timelines. This includes everything from casual discussions to code reviews and customer meetings.