Imagine driving in the rain with no way to get the water off your windshield, and as a result, no visibility. Thanks to Mary Anderson, you don’t have to worry about that. In the early 1900s, she rode a trolley and watched as the driver opened the window to see through the sleet. After that harrowing experience, she set to work to find a solution — windshield wipers.
Innovations can be large or small, and inspiration can come from anywhere. But what specifically helps to bring the next big product or solution to the market? According to three local LA companies, it’s a company culture where employees are encouraged to disrupt the status quo.
A study in Human Resource Management International Digest showed that, “If a worker perceives the organization to support and nurture a creative environment, they are more likely to reciprocate with increased creative behavior.”
Employees who are more engaged, committed and motivated find more autonomy. Work outcomes are stronger, and those outcomes shape the way the rest of us live. And as three local professionals detail below, such outcomes can take multiple forms: evolving product lines, new tech added to the stack or even increased collaboration.
Pennymac is a home loan lender and servicer.
What are some signs that a company actually has a culture of innovation? What does that look like in practice at Pennymac?
Organizations with a culture of innovation foster open communication, the sharing of ideas, and the evolution of existing technologies and operational processes. We come together to discuss how we can introduce new technologies to the industry and improve existing product designs and architectures. The discussion of new ideas includes input from all levels in our organization. And while the introduction of new technology can be exciting, we recognize the importance of ensuring that the sustainability of that technology, and its general fit into the technology culture of Pennymac, is a focus.
How do you personally make space for new ideas and innovative ways of doing business?
We have routines that allow for new technologies to be discussed and reviewed with various teams. These forums allow our team members to present new ideas and potential opportunities to evolve existing architectures. From a personal perspective, senior leadership’s presence in these forums and support of these routines give credence to these discussions. Their input also provides strategic perspective to ideas that are presented, which ensures the innovation is aligned with the strategic direction of Pennymac.
The discussion of new ideas includes input from all levels in our organization.”
What are some of the challenges Pennymac has faced in developing or maintaining this type of culture, particularly as you’ve grown? How did you overcome those challenges?
The primary challenge has been to ensure that fostering a culture of innovation does not get displaced as operational demands increase. Continuing to host forums and encourage ideas to be presented help with ensuring the culture is nurtured. Additionally, continuing to allocate time and capacity to enable the evolution of software and initiatives focused on growth assists with maintaining the culture at Pennymac.
FabFitFun is a lifestyle membership that offers subscription services, like the curated FabFitFun Box, for members to discover brands and products.
What does a culture of innovation look like in practice at FabFitFun?
The surest sign of a culture of innovation is a product line that’s constantly evolving as well as other evolutions in the operations of the business. At FabFitFun, no two years have looked the same. We’ve grown from a newsletter to a subscription box to a broader e-commerce membership with a highly customizable experience. Meanwhile, we’ve taken on significant operational challenges to improve the business since launching our subscription box business in 2013, including developing proprietary e-commerce technology, standing up our own fulfillment operation, building a direct-to-factory sourcing operation, and launching a set of owned-and-operated brands. Innovation is alive and kicking at FabFitFun!
Everyone is encouraged to propose new ideas and new ways of doing things.”
How do you personally make space for new ideas and innovative ways of doing business?
We have always encouraged a culture of innovation and celebrated an entrepreneurial mindset. We try to maintain a very flat organizational structure. Everyone is encouraged to propose new ideas and new ways of doing things, and we maintain open channels to ensure that the best ideas are surfaced, like regular open town hall meetings and a bi-annual FabFitFun Pitch Day. I personally try to bring a beginner’s mindset to evolving our business. The world has changed so much just in the last few years, and it’s safe to assume there will be more change ahead. We embrace that and create these types of open-door formats to ensure we're incorporating the best ideas across the company into our plans.
What are some of the challenges FabFitFun has faced in developing or maintaining this type of culture, particularly as you’ve grown? How did you overcome those challenges?
As an organization grows, maintaining agility becomes more challenging. This has only been exacerbated by Covid-19 and the evolving nature of remote and office-based work. We’ve been quick to adopt tools and processes that allow us to stay agile, and in some ways, even improve that agility. While we’ve continued to maintain a strong physical cultural center in our HQ and our fulfillment centers, we’ve adapted our workflows to be conducive to the changing nature of how work gets done.
FIGS is a direct-to-consumer healthcare apparel and lifestyle brand that reinvents traditional scrubs.
What does a culture of innovation look like in practice at FIGS?
Companies that encourage individual and team goal setting, effective delegation, effective communication practices and transparency have a culture of innovation. Team member interaction and collaboration help drive and strengthen these signs of innovation. FIGS has a monthly culture program that is representative of our unique team members. The monthly program events exemplify our diverse and innovative culture, while giving back to our community.
How do you personally make space for new ideas and innovative ways of doing business?
I believe effectively working with others is the most critical part of our company culture. If you don’t collaborate with others, you limit the new ideas that are possible and you only answer your own questions. Working together, open communication, and always striving to improve a process with coworkers inspires me to make space for new ideas, leading to innovative ways of doing business.
If you don’t collaborate with others, you only answer your own questions.”
What are some of the challenges FIGS has faced in developing or maintaining this type of culture, particularly as you’ve grown? How did you overcome those challenges?
As we all know, a pandemic happened, and our workspaces and work norms changed drastically. We weren’t able to come into the office and interact with teams, which has always been such a big part of our culture. At the beginning of the pandemic, it was a challenge to communicate virtually rather than in person. This led to us to shift what we were used to, which was difficult at times. FIGS encouraged and supported us by holding virtual events to stay connected and providing home IT equipment to make it all possible. Virtually, we were able to connect and grow our culture by leading donation drives, hearing guest speakers and participating in fitness classes. These things encourage team members to prioritize their well-being and stay healthy during the busy work hours, which helped us overcome these challenges.
Virgin Hyperloop is a transportation tech company on a mission to create fast, effortless travel with the Hyperloop, a high-speed train.
What are some signs that a company actually has a culture of innovation? What does that look like in practice at Virgin Hyperloop?
A culture of innovation comes from new ideas backed with technical analysis and the opportunity for people with expertise about certain topics to provide opinions. In practice, an innovative culture actually integrates these opinions and ideas into the development of a particular product. This openness and welcoming of new ideas from all team members creates a trusting work culture in which employees and leaders collaborate with fluidity and ease to build a successful product together.
How do you personally make space for new ideas and innovative ways of doing business?
I give my direct reports the opportunity to work on projects that may be outside the scope of their expertise. This gives them the chance to ideate in ways they typically wouldn’t. I provide clear requirements and complete autonomy to propose their own solution, and I give everyone on the team a chance to provide constructive feedback. This gives the employees, and me, the space to openly present our ideas and receive helpful feedback to validate them.
I believe in not reinventing the wheel on ideas as much as possible.’’
What are some of the challenges Virgin Hyperloop has faced in developing or maintaining this type of culture, particularly as you’ve grown? And how did you overcome those challenges?
As a new technology company, some of the challenges we’ve faced are aligning the product needs to the market, as well as ensuring the technology meets its intended purpose. I believe in not reinventing the wheel on ideas as much as possible. I try to leverage past efforts, combined with smart analysis and feedback, to ensure the intended product need is met. This is crucial to ensure the balance between time versus innovation and development always meets our goals.
