It might seem odd to discuss values at such an early stage. We were only testing with 1 customer, the product was barely functioning and we had just gone from one employee to two! But, as a company built with the mission of better well-being for people at work in mind, it was right to set the foundations for a thriving company culture early on.
These weren’t just values to put on a wall. These values were core, values that would shape how we worked together, how we’d engage with customers and most importantly the values that would influence product design and build of our AI Bot Indie.
Values not only help us define how we work, but who we work with and how we do so. For example, a potential customer asked us to use Indie in a way that was opposite to all our values, which made it easier to say no.
The team has grown, as have our customers and investors but our values are more important than ever. They flow through everything we do. We review them regularly with the team to ensure they reflect who we are and who we aspire to be.
We before me
We play as an inclusive team where nobody gets left behind.
We are building a product for the whole world, so our team should reflect the diversity of the world.
We work hard to make sure we look for people that are unique. We call it “not the usual suspects
Lead by Example
It’s not just a catchphrase. We take care of our own mental health.
Everyone can be subject to stress and burnout. It is tough to identify these signs in yourself. We use Indie in our Slack, we regularly check in with each other and foster an environment free from the stigma of speaking up.
Using our own product helps us make it better for you, and ensures we’re in better shape to provide the best service possible.
Accountability
We do what we say.
We are accountable to each other. We are accountable to our customers. We are accountable to our users. You can rely on us, and in doing so, this reduces everyone’s stres
WOW the Customer
We go above and beyond to delight our customers.
It feels great to receive awesome service, so why wouldn’t we want that for our customers? From product design and development, to support and customer success, we do all we can to make our customers go WOW.
Feedback is a critical part of this value, so we encourage feedback that lets us know when we are doing well, but also when we need to improve.
Innovation & Learning
Above all we are human. We continuously learn and adapt.
We encourage self-led and coached learning. This fosters an environment where we can be innovative, creative and curious. In the fast-paced world of tech, we are always pushing into the unknown. This takes new skills and the ability to learn quickly through experimentation and investigation. We LOVE to learn.
Fun
We like to have fun and laugh. A lot!
If there’s no time for a funny anecdote then something must be wrong! Of course, there are times in every workplace and team when you need to knuckle down and get through tough hours (or days) of concentrated work. We insist on taking the time to celebrate success, share the good news and touch base with each other regularly.
After all, fun and laughter are great for creativity, productivity and collaboration!!
Putting in the effort makes the challenging times worthwhile and ensures there is always something to look forward to.
