What makes us Custora

Transcription

1 What makes us Custora

2 Be respectful Be constructive, think positive Keep experimenting Default to action Have strong opinions, weakly held Take ownership Make others successful Do what s best for the customer Have fun, be interesting 2 3

3 This booklet is a collection of the values that embody the people of Custora. Some are more reflective, some are more aspirational all of them add up to a culture for which we care deeply and hope to propagate little a little tomato garden full of tasty tomatoes. How do we use this book? Great question. It helps us grow, by describing the characteristics and attitudes that make great Custorians. It helps us collaborate, with guidance for how to work together and offer feedback. It helps us communicate (with each other and with the rest of the world) more effectively and consistently. 4 5

4 Be respectful Respect each other, our customers, our competitors, everyone we interact with. No smack talkin. Be humble. Think we beats me. There s no i in Custora, but there is an us. NICE. Another way this translates is how we talk about collaboration. A few examples: x I have three butlers at Custora. We have three people on our Custodial team. x My Data Science team is working on it. Our Data Science team is on vacation. x That s not my problem. How can we help? x I need you to do xyz for me. We need to finish xyz to reach our goals. 6 7

5 Be constructive, think positive Critique is a vital part of any creative culture. When offering feedback, explain why. Offer suggestions. Put some thought into it. I don t like this, is barely helpful. What if you tried this... is hugely helpful. Yes and... beats yes, but... every time. Yes and continues the conversation and generates new ideas. Yes but can do the exact opposite. Every problem is also an opportunity. Yes & Pessimism and cynicism are toxic to teams and stifle innovation. Cynics are the flippin worst. There are so many cynics out there it s almost impossible to avoid them. Why even bother? Pssssh. Whatever. 8 9

6 Keep experimenting Custora was built upon one tiny experiment. What if we could build a company around a new approach to statistical modeling for marketing? Innovation is built upon lots of small experiments. Sometimes they re risky. Sometimes we fail, and sometimes we discover amazing outcomes. Sure, try a standing desk. Or try working upside down hanging from the ceiling. Or try a 37th version of a cold . Try writing cold s in a walk-in freezer. Try sending a small freezer to a prospect with a hand written note inside that says call me, xoxo. And so on. Experiments also don t always work out so well. Learn, adjust, onward. And don t forget, it s okay to be a little weird sometimes. Or all the time. As long as your intentions are good, great things can arise from a strange idea. We never want to lose that

7 Default to action Make a good decision, make a bad decision, make no decision, in that order. We re a small team with plenty to do. We ve got to keep moving. So gather the right info, decide quickly, build something, try it out, and learn from it. Talk less, do more, also comes to mind

8 Have strong opinions, Have a strong opinion and be prepared to defend it passionately. But when you encounter new information, be open to change your mind. weakly held BIG FAT OPINION 14 15

9 Take ownership It s about learning from mistakes and focusing on solutions rather than placing blame. Be resourceful, be relentless, but don t be afraid to ask for help. It s about emptying the trash when you find it overflowing. Taking ownership is the key to building a culture of collective responsibility. (Also we totally stole this one from IDEO)

10 Do what s best for the customer We do our very best to make things that our customers want and need. We re inspired by what s in their best interest (and the best interest of their own customers too). We keep it real, keep it honest, and keep looking for ways to help our customers excel

11 Make others successful This applies of course externally (the better our customers do, the better we do) and internally. We all possess unique knowledge and life experiences from which we can all benefit. Find ways to share your mojo and help your Custorians become better consultants, designers, teachers, and humans. Teach it, don t preach it. And remember to celebrate the triumphs of our peers. (Yes we stole this one too but it s so good right?) 20 21

12 Have fun, be interesting A sense of humor is important. We like to laugh around here. Look for ways to create fun. It could be as simple as finding a new place to go for lunch. Or as complex as creating a 1/4 scale pinata of Hulk Hogan using Kind bar wrappers. Get out. Take breaks, take vacations. Departures from the world of Custora are vital to maintaining a healthy perspective on life and gathering inspiration that you never saw coming. Someone smart once said that being interesting mainly concerns two things: 1. Being interested in some topic and 2. Sharing ideas about that topic. Simple as that. Enthusiasm is infectious, no matter the topic. What makes you tick outside of work? 22 23

13 Yes, and... This book isn t chiseled in marble for a reason. It will evolve as we grow and learn more about ourselves and what makes us, us. Please add your thoughts as they arise (to the online document) because remember, you wouldn t be reading this if you weren t you

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