Five Working Principles that make us better builders

We are not the only organization that produces exceptional work for our clients. What sets us apart is our working principles.

These principles flow into who we hire. Who we work with. And ultimately how we work. This approach isn’t for everyone. And that’s ok! For the right people and clients, it unlocks incredible results.

Our five working principles are: Same Team; People Before Pixels; Less, But Better; :shipit: and Make It Better. These principles all are dual sided – they reference the products we are building and the team dynamics.

Same Team

There is no “us” vs. “them.” We are on the client’s team and vice versa. We teach your team about good design and development and you teach us about your industry and customers. We collaborate closely. We rally around a shared goal and measure our success by yours.

Good products are built by small, autonomous teams that like working with each other and feel safe to take risks . No jerks. No egos. Just good people, having fun and making cool stuff.

People Before Pixels

We make things for humans. Behind every business plan, software application, or digital art piece is a human motivation that we aim to satisfy. If you don’t know what it is, talk to people. Always ask “why?” And in this day and age, things do need to look good, but more importantly, we need them to work well and let people accomplish what they want to quickly.

And behind all of these digital products are makers who are humans. They deserve to be treated as such and not as code monkeys or pencil pushers. We believe in a sustainable work pace, not cranking on an all nighter for an artificial deadline. Focus Fridays give people time to make, without distractions. And we strive to create social interactions outside of work.

Less, But Better

There are too many products that do too many things for too many people. We believe that success starts with doing one thing better than anyone else. Insist on focus and fidelity of thought and do that thing the best. Define the problem and strive to create the simplest, most elegant solution. And constantly test your work to make sure you are delivering the value you think.

Likewise, creating a culture of innovation isn’t about fancy perks or titles. It is about empowering people to make smart decisions that are focused on business and user outcomes.

:shipit:

Thought is cheap. Talk is cheap. Figma files and localhost are cheap. We measure progress by what we put into the world and what we learn from doing so. Make small bets and test them outside of the building. And move as quickly as possible.

Make it Better

Creating great digital experiences is an iterative process. Our basic project approach is: Think. Make. Validate. Make it better.

But what makes us better at making things better? Simple: we make ourselves better. We’re constantly pushing the limits of our own knowledge and working to improve our skills and process.

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Do these principles resonate with you? Do you think that they could help you deliver software better and faster? If so, let’s chat!