Because work & life can sometimes become disastrously co-mingled, we apply five orienting principles with equal weight in both our work and personal lives:
Time is Made, Not Found
In Our Work
We meet at regular, predictable intervals to evaluate the status of our efforts, to review the health of our projects, and to ensure the high morale of our team. We do not wait to find time to carry out these important conferences, but are instead persistent about creating deliberate opportunities to align our efforts and achieve our common goals.
In Our Lives
We recognize that without strong personal relationships outside of work, a human will never be healthy. As a result we understand the paramount importance of carving out quality time for our partners, our children, and our friends—knowing full-well that a rich life apart from the office cannot help but motivate our time spent inside of it.
Every Thing Began From Nothing
In Our Work
We challenge one-another’s preferences, biases and blind spots, always working first to rid ourselves of preconceived ideas of what our work must look like. We encourage one-another to develop critical eyes and compassionate communication. We eviscerate poor thinking, and strive to develop cogent, consensus-based responses to all prompts. We never tolerate simply rinsing old ideas and repackaging them as new deliverables.
In Our Lives
We understand that a life of meaning and impact is not built overnight, but is instead constructed by days, weeks, months, and years of progressive investment. We do not tolerate short-term thinking, and instead pour ourselves into our passions day in and day out, working with the confidence that we one day may look back at the almost incomprehensible achievement of a life well-built and full of meaning.
Proactivity > Reactivity
In Our Work
We anticipate problems and are never quick to disqualify good ideas, regardless of whether they represent ‘Plan A’ or ‘Plan X’. We understand the inherently unpredictable nature of our work and we work at every turn to avoid being surprised by unforeseen challenges. Mammoth debts are accrued both personally and monetarily when business decisions are made from a reactive posture, and we challenge one-another to avoid spending time in this position.
In Our Lives
When needs arise apart from the office, we work collaboratively and charitably to find solutions. At every turn, we seek to define our own paths forward, instead of waiting for a path forward to simply appear before us.
Pollination Precedes Growth
In Our Work
We shuffle our workspaces every few months, forcing every team member to jettison their standard cabal and forge new relationships with other colleagues and other projects. Because we can never be sure from what inspiration our next “Eureka” moment may arise, the most prudent thing we can do is avoid ever getting too comfortable in one place—instead seeking different perspectives and influences at every opportunity.
In Our Lives
Similar to Google’s 20% time or Ferriss’ 80/20 principle, and based on the understanding that creativity always breeds creativity, we encourage one-another to regularly seek stimulation from areas that have no direct link to our business pursuits.
Clarity & Brevity Are Key
In Our Work
When all is said and done, literally every aspect of our work can be distilled down to an act of communication. As a result and without exception, clear communication is foundational to everything we do. We hold one-another accountable to represent the highest standards in all forms of communication, and we are of one accord that our work is not ready to leave the office until it has first been made beautiful.
In Our Lives
We recognize that personal needs can sometimes be unpredictable, and when life comes crashing into our work, we communicate with clarity, consistency, and charity about what we need to move forward. By engaging in clear dialogue about the competing demands of one’s personal life and one’s work life, we achieve mutual understanding and common solutions.