Our Values — A Foundation for Expanding Our Team and Culture

As we grow our technical team, it is crucial that we stay true to the values that differentiate us. We see human beings as a kind of animal that is designed with linguistic technology. So, for us, our values are not an afterthought but a fundamental part of our design and what we design. 

These virtues (combinations of values, practices, and habits) are not rules to enforce but ways of being to invite, practice, and deepen over time. They reflect the spirit with which we build our work, our relationships, and our contribution to the world.

Below is a living articulation of the virtues we seek to embody, each accompanied by a question to provoke reflection for those who choose to walk this path with us.

1. Being of Service

We orient ourselves toward serving internal and external customers with excellence and humility. Service is not a task—it is a way of seeing the world and asking: Who is my customer, and what must I do to satisfy them?

Question: In every action you take, who are you truly serving—and what does satisfaction look like for them?

2. Belonging

We prioritize the needs of the collective over personal ego, understanding that true belonging requires moving from “I” to “we.”

Question: When faced with a difficult decision, do you first ask: what would strengthen our "we"?

3. Curiosity

We meet challenges with a genuine desire to learn rapidly, always grounding our inquiries in a clear understanding of for the sake of what we are learning.

Question: What are you most curious about right now—and why does it matter?

4. Humility

We recognize that we are only scratching the surface of what there is to know. Arrogance has no place here; only the willingness to learn and be changed by what we encounter.

Question: Where might your certainty be preventing you from seeing what’s possible?

5. Confidence

We carry a fierce belief that, together, we can figure out breakthrough solutions no matter how complex the breakdowns. We do not let fear or worry cloud our commitment.

Question: When breakdowns arise, do you meet them with fear—or with the confidence to invent a way through?

6. Integrity

When we make a commitment, we follow through to the absolute best of our ability. When circumstances shift, we renegotiate openly and proactively—never hiding, never abandoning.

Question: When you see a commitment is at risk, do you act early enough to preserve your integrity?

7. Dynamic and Scrappy

We work flexibly and tactically to make rapid progress, always mindful of for the sake of what we are being scrappy. We are not chaotic—we are intentional, knowing when to be scrappy and when to build for the long term.

Question: Are you clear when you are being scrappy for progress versus creating messes that will cost us later?

8. Capability and Skill

We aim to be “dangerous”—possessing enough skill to create real impact—while maintaining a powerful capacity for rapid learning.

Question: Are you sharpening your skills every day so that you can be not only useful, but formidable?

9. Trust

Trust can be given, broken, repaired, and cultivated; mistrust is inevitable. Building authentic trust is a matter of skill, and we commit to building such skills for dealing with mistrust. 

Question: In each interaction, are you consciously building trust or leaving it to chance?

10. Provoking Excellence

Each new person must raise the bar for what is possible. We expect people who are relentless about self-assessment and who provoke themselves and others toward higher standards, not for vanity, but for the sake of what we are building together.

Question: Are you leaving those around you stronger than you found them?

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Closing Note:
Beyond these virtues, we reject arrogance, the need to look good over doing good, and passive responsibility. We honor the principle of absolute proactive responsibility—not just for our own tasks, but for the success of the whole.

We invite each new member to help us answer the deeper design questions:

• What differentiates us?

• What must we do to preserve and grow it?

• How might we cultivate the moods that will sustain our way of being together?