Join us

Bias to action

We do not wait to be told what to do. Even though sometimes we will agree next time to delegate a task or wait for a specific confirmation, the default reaction in any situation should be to take action. Especially in the first version of each new experiment:

• It is more important to get feedback from clients and candidates as soon as possible than to have a complete understanding of the situation. To some extent, if we are not embarrassed when launching the first version, we have wasted too much time. A mistake that many startups make is that they plan as if they are already a big corporation. We are not a big company.
• It is necessary to set a target. For goal setting, you can read a dedicated section in Technical Onboarding.
• The outcome of each discussion should include action items. When writing things down, being actionable is more important than being complete.
• Instead of saying to a colleague "My goal is A and I am telling you to do B", say something like "My goal is A—can you help me figure out the best way to ask you for a comprehensive plan to achieve B, including the types of inputs you would need and how I should structure my request?" Maintaining the whole context helps us remember things, clarify assumptions to mitigate risks, and leverage AI whenever it can help us deliver results.
• It is also important to express gratitude, explaining what helped you. That reinforces positive behaviour.

Remote and flexible hours

Response time guidelines

When a message on Slack does not have the word "urgent", it is not urgent—and that matters, because a constant sense of urgency would lead to burnout.

By having no always-on culture, embracing asynchronous communication, standardizing tools and protocols, and setting clear communication processes, we can maintain work-life balance and work across time zones.

Preferred communication methods

Generally we prefer:

• Asynchronous communication.
• Communication through Slack channels over direct one-to-one messages. We encourage questions in Slack channels so everyone has equal opportunities to share ideas, unless they are on a different team or the topic is sensitive.
• Pulling the next top priority task from our common and transparent backlog.
• Any team meeting to have an agenda (see Meetings) that everyone prepares before the meeting and updates with meeting notes during the meeting.

Experiments drive improvement

Doing experiments and making mistakes is how we learn, so mistakes should not be something we avoid. Mistakes should be opportunities to learn—activities we plan for and share with no shame or regret.

Writing things down

• Documentation should state processes we already deliver, not theoretical wishful thinking. It is better to delete outdated information and write it again when we repeat it than to keep many files that nobody reads.
• We write assuming our audience has no context so that content is useful for newcomers too. Every piece of documentation that replaces an unnecessary meeting is worth writing.
• Google Drive is our master system. Other systems hold only what is necessary for specific tasks; Google Drive is our reference for candidates, prospects, and documentation. We keep valuable information in Google Drive because Slack messages intentionally disappear after 90 days.
• When we schedule a meeting, we all prepare the agenda, update it with meeting notes during and after the meeting, and record a video and transcript of it.

Career growth

Our company has too few people for predefined career paths, but we want to work with people who grow progressively with us. The stages below are here to help you do exactly that.

1. Forming

Confidence. You demonstrate daily that you are confident in your abilities and that you adapt, recover, and stay productive in the face of stress, setbacks, uncertainty, or change at work.

Internet. In all roles, we ask the quality of your video chatting to be at least average. To measure that, try limiting internet use by closing all tabs on your laptop, open speed.cloudflare.com, wait until it shows a Network Quality Score, take a screenshot, and share your findings.

Availability. You can be away for as much time as you want and you should not be asked for the reason. However:

• Add an emoji in Slack showing which hours and days you will be off.
• If there is a meeting you cannot join, reject it early so we know you are unavailable.
• If you know you will miss a deadline because of other obligations, share that proactively so we can explore options together.

The only case in which we set expectations for how quickly team members should respond is when a message on Slack contains the word "urgent". That might happen only on a working day and applies to available team members. In that case, to keep things moving, you should respond within 30 minutes.

Living our values. You enjoy our way of working, you demonstrate our values daily, and you encourage others to do the same by following your path.

2. Storming

You demonstrate that you deliver output every two weeks.

3. Norming

You demonstrate that you deliver outcomes that contribute to the profit of the company, with less and less supervision. You also demonstrate:

• Active listening and asking clarifying and deepening questions.
• Skillful conflict resolution: you prepare for and hold difficult conversations in a constructive way.
• Diagnosing and resolving time management challenges you might face.
• Staying calm, collected, and clear-minded even when things change quickly.
• Sharing your career goals and creating a development plan.

4. Performing

You help others grow from one stage to the next through training, mentoring, coaching, or facilitation techniques.