The culture of SocialRadar

what is culture?a set of shared beliefs,

great cultureattractsgreat people

great peoplecreategreat culture

great culturehelps people deliver theirbest work

This document is part manifesto & part employee handbook. It’s part of who we are and who we want to be.

values and practices

culture isn’t born.it’s forged.

our culture defies convention by combining the best practices of other companies with progressive ideas we have not seen elsewhere.

THE 10 UNCONVENTIONAL PILLARS OF OUR CULTURE

we operateon trust1

we operate on trust1

Just because someone made a mistake years ago doesn’t mean we need a policy

We only protect against the really big stuff

We don’t have pages of policies and procedures

we operate on trust1

We have 3 short policies for just about everything:

do what is right

1use good judgment

2act in SocialRadar’s best interest

3

we operate on trust1

Social media policy

Travel policy

Sick day policy

Expense reimbursement policy

Technology for work policy

‘Buy a round of drinks at an event’ policy

‘Work from home during a blizzard’ policy

do what is right

1use good judgment

2act in SocialRadar’s best interest

3

Our policy on all of these things (and most other things)

we stayrelevant2

we stay relevant2

We stay current, we stay cutting edge.

We don’t shun new technology – we become early adopters and experts of it. We pilot everything.

We share what we learn.

We share our new discoveries and experiences with each other – from tech to pop culture.

We are active on social media. We have Twitter accounts and we use LinkedIn, etc.

We contribute daily to social sites. We share the great content we discover.

we stay relevant2

We develop for the iPhone and Android and we all own and use an iPhone and an Android. We are mobile - live it.

SocialRadar is running all the time. If it drains your battery - get a battery extender.

We see blockbuster movies on opening weekend, discuss the news and invite speakers that come to educate the group. Stay relevant - by staying current.

we are building for where the market is going to be

3

we have a vision and a mission that will get us there

we are building for where the market is going to be

3

…not for where it is now. And not for where everyone believes it is going. We see where the market is going to end up. That’s what we’re building for.

It's really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them.“

- Steve Jobs

we activelyparticipate in the community

4

We participate in DC tech events, attend tech meet-ups and foster connections with our fellow techies, designers, marketers, etc.

We believe in helping our family and friends. We help our co-workers. We help other startups and technology companies as well as fellow entrepreneurs. We are active members of a community and will do our part.

we actively participate in the community4

we believe in working as a team

5

we believe in working as a team5

Small groups are mighty forces.

We work in small groups – from development to marketing.

There is little to no telecommuting because we believe teams work better face-to-face.

Both in work and outside of work – we encourage group lunches, group movies, group exercise.

we believe in working as a team5

Cancel unproductive meetings

Limit internal scheduled meetings to 20 minutes (except 1:1s or companywide)

No pre-scheduled auto-recurring meetings

Meetings are not necessarily teamwork:

we all contribute… differently

6

we all contribute… differently6

Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses – but we all chip in – we are a startup.  Our jobs may include strategy and product design but they also include building our own desks and taking out the trash.

A gear-shift has a different job than a steering wheel but all are needed to run the car

we all contribute… differently6

Management should not be everyone’s career goal. We can excel and grow in a variety of roles.

Manager of the accounting department is a different job than an accountant – not necessarily a higher or more important job.

We believe in keeping the organization as flat as possible. But managers are needed as a company grows. We will not create another level until a manager has a minimum of 6 direct reports.

Management is not a higher position. It is a different skill:

we believe in constant feedback

7

we believe in constant feedback7

No annual reviews but feedback all the time:

As a team member, you have the right to candid and constructive feedback. We are replacing the traditional annual review in favor of more frequent feedback.

Don’t be offended by feedback. It will help you grow. Respond positively: “Great – now I know what I can do better in my job – thank you for telling me.”

If feedback isn’t helpful or you don’t take feedback well, this may not be the place for you. Not every company is a good fit for every employee. If that’s the case, we will part on great terms.

we value your contribution & your career

8

we value your contribution and your career

8

We are building a company for the community, our co-workers, and ourselves. Everyone owns a piece of what we’re building with our generous stock program.

Upon joining SocialRadar, you are allotted a set amount of stock. Additional grants are made based on individual contributions to the company.

Everyone is an owner:

we value your contribution and your career

8

We will align our people to the market annually.

Some, but not all, positions will increase in comp because their value in the marketplace is moving up, driven by increasing skills and/or greater demand for an area of expertise.

It’s a healthy idea – not a traitorous one – to explore what other firms would pay you:

– Interview and talk to peers at other companies. Talk with your manager about what you find

We value our employees:

Minor exception: no interviews with firms that are direct competitors. Often they are trying to get confidential information.

we believe in work + life, not work vs. life

9

we believe in work + life, not work vs. life 9

Please prioritize important family or personal events.

Because we strive to do an amazing job, we can take all the time we need (marking our calendars, of course). We also take off on NYSE holidays.

We have unlimited vacation and sick leave and a flexible schedule:

we believe in work + life, not work vs. life 9

The basis for good teamwork is respect for each other’s time. We ask that everyone start the day by 9:30 am.

We understand that people work late, so let’s work late together:

– Monday and Thursday we will work until 9:00 pm and provide dinner for the team

– Tuesday and Wednesday we will leave at a normal time and try not to schedule other meetings so you can go home for dinner

We have coordinated work schedules:

we believe in work + life, not work vs. life 9

We do Crossfit (well you do Crossfit – but if you do it we pay for it).

We (try to) eat healthy. We stock our kitchen area with healthy food and drink. And only some junk food (mostly cupcakes).

And we firmly believe our time at work should positively impact our ‘life.’:

we are perpetually a work-in-progress

10

we are perpetually a work-in-progress10

Expect Change

We are driving the car while building it. It’s difficult and painful but necessary as we constantly readjust to the road ahead.

we are perpetually a work-in-progress10

Try to suck less then you did yesterday.

We would rather fail frequently then never try. We all fail at something everyday. Learn from your mistakes and try not to make them again.

we are perpetually a work-in-progress10

iteratingnever done

learningnever done

rethinkingnever done

When we finish something we look back and see how it can be made better. Then we start again. (After we finish all of our other work.)

6. We all contribute…differently.

7. We believe in constant feedback.

8. We value your contribution and your career.

9. We believe in work + life, not work vs. life.

10. We are perpetually a work-in-progress.

1. We operate on trust.

2. We stay relevant.

3. We are building for where the market is going to be.

4. We actively participate in the community.

5. We believe in working as a team.

This deck was based on:

1. great culture ideas copied from leading companies that we respect (see below)

2. A decade of experiences shared by Michael Chasen

3. the input of many other (very smart) people

HubSpot Culture Presentationhttp://www.slideshare.net/HubSpot/the-hubspot-culture-code-creating-a-company-we-love

Netflix Culture Presentationhttp://www.slideshare.net/reed2001/culture-2009

Zappos Corporate Culture Presentationhttp://www.slideshare.net/Thor/zappos-lessons-building-a-customerfocused-culture?from_search=1