We care about winning. We’re an early stage startup, and we move with urgency. We don’t whiteboard, brainstorm ideas or waste time in endless meetings.
We ship things, we fix things, we make things happen.
We are working on exceptionally challenging tasks at a rapid pace. We care about results, not efforts. We don’t keep slackers around, and we don’t prioritize seniority over great ideas. We’re in the details.
A great workplace is not about having the best gym, sleeping pods, or frequent parties. It’s about working as a team on some of the most ambitious goals. It’s a place where we learn the most and do the work we can be proud of.
Be the person who executes the “deploy” command. Be the one who organizes a customer conference. Take charge. Real artists ship.
We’re a small team and we can’t do what years-old big-tech corporations do — and we believe that’s a good thing. We can’t buy an F1 sponsorship or a Super Bowl ad, but we can sponsor a tech blogger to start their side hustle.
Doing a lot with little is our think different. It means we have to find original and better ways of doing things, not replicating how they have always been done. It’s this David-like approach that makes us succeed even in the Goliath-like challenges.
Be nice, do the right thing
Being nice to each other is a vital value of the company we all want to work at. There is no space for “brilliant jerks”. You have to be kind. Well-meant feedback is always delivered with respect.
We nurture a culture of quiet confidence and open humbleness. There is no space for selfishness on our team. We appreciate the privilege of working with each other and lift each other up.
We won’t compromise on what we believe in to cut corners. We’re in this for the long run and want to win right, even if that means taking the harder path. This applies to not just treating our people well but also to how we do business with everyone outside the company.
We hire A players and let them make the decisions independently without asking for a permission first.
Our goal isn’t to micromanage. Our goal is to get out of your way and let you do your best work.
Reason from first principles
We don’t let the anecdotal evidence of how things have been done until now limit us in thinking what’s possible. We ask why. We question the requirements.
We get inspiration from others to learn from their mistakes, but we always prioritize the common sense over anecdotes. The only true limitations are the laws of physics.
Work at a fast-growing startup in a team of super-talented colleagues (Y Combinator alumni, ex-Google & ex-Shopify engineers, and… you?).
Work hard, treat people well, and have fun.
Managing partner at DST Global
Director of SEO at Shopify