“Seek to Understand.” “Be Scrappy.” “Challenge Your Biases.”
These are a few of the core values that define several local tech companies — and they’re more than just words on an office wall. Rather, they’re a call to action.
As a principal mechanical engineer at Epirus, Jarrell Washington sees his company embrace its values every day. These values — such as “We Put Our People First” and “We Are One Team” — guide every aspect of the company’s operations, from the ways in which technologists develop new products to how the leadership team makes important decisions.
“Each pillar ensures everyone serves the mission of our company and creates a positive, inclusive and effective work environment,” Washington said.
Indeed, a values-driven culture encompasses every aspect of an organization, including the ways in which it serves its customers. One of Dubsado’s core values, “Create Customer Obsession,” echoes this idea.
According to Chief People Officer Elizabeth Johnston, the company prioritizes its customers at all times. That means it’s not about taking the easier path — it’s about doing what’s best for those they serve.
“We don’t try to check a box off of our to-do list; instead, we take time to make a lasting impact,” Johnston said.
For Washington, Johnston and Ali Tahmasbi, chief product officer at Instil, core values inspire everyone to strive toward the same goals, whether that involves acknowledging each other’s unique perspectives or finding innovative solutions. Built In LA caught up with all three leaders to learn how their companies put words into action.
Epirus develops energy systems and power management solutions designed to optimize power efficiency in defense and commercial applications.
What are the values that drive Epirus’ culture, and why are those values so important to your business?
We have five cultural pillars written in bold letters across a wall in our Torrance, California headquarters:
EPIRUS' FIVE CULTURAL PILLARS
- “We Embody an Agile Mindset.”
- “We Ask ‘Why Not?’”
- “We Are Mission-Focused and Committed to Our Customers.”
- “We Put Our People First.”
- “We Are One Team.”
These pillars represent the fundamental characteristics our employees embody as we innovate and deliver our disruptive technology. The pillars create a framework for everyday work interactions — both big and small — and guide the leadership team’s major decisions. They create the foundation for our fast, fun and exciting company culture.
What are some steps you take to stay true to those values?
The steps we take on my team are rooted in contributions made by both technology and people. As an engineering leader, a lot of my attention is focused on our first three pillars: “We Embody an Agile Mindset,” “We Ask ‘Why Not?’” and “We Are Mission-Focused and Committed to Our Customers.” I connect deeply with the first one and try to approach projects with the understanding that the only constant is change; requirements, priorities, time allocation and techniques are always shifting, and learning to take action and thrive in that environment is key.
Contributions made by people are centered around the other two pillars. I’m proud to say I’ve made significant contributions here, such as helping build our Culture Carriers program, which serves as a think tank for company culture and ideas important to our employees. We listen to our fellow colleagues to find pertinent trends and develop actionable items. I’m involved in “cultural add” interviews, which ensure job candidates would meaningfully contribute to our culture. On a personal level, I try to be approachable, listen and mentor others. It’s awesome being empowered to shape and influence company culture.
On a personal level, I try to be approachable, listen and mentor others.”
What are some traits you look for in employees that indicate their values are aligned with those of Epirus?
When evaluating candidates, I ask myself, “Can I visualize this individual in our workplace?” More specifically, “Do I believe they would contribute to positive interactions in our company?” On a more tactical level, I look for strong active listening and communication skills required for successful project collaboration as well as for experiences that showcase “stretch,” or learning from opportunities that push them out of their comfort zone.
One question I find particularly insightful is, “Tell me about a time you disagreed with a colleague on a technical problem. How did you address the situation?” The responses to this question can provide meaningful context for how candidates handle conflict resolution. But most of all, I look for enthusiasm and passion from candidates, not only for the role, but also for working in a startup environment where their impact can be felt. If you’ve been engaged with shaping or influencing company culture, that’s always a plus.
Dubsado’s B2B platform enables small businesses to manage client projects, payments and more.
DUBSADO'S CORE VALUES
- “Create Customer Obsession.” Our customers and employees are critical to the success of our business. By obsessing over the needs and wants of both groups, we create a positive work environment as well as products and services that meet and exceed their expectations.
- “Play Team.” By working together as a team, we leverage the strengths of each team member and provide a seamless experience for our customers while fostering innovation and creativity.
- “Seek to Understand.” We believe that people work best when there’s a foundation of trust, which is built when there’s a true understanding of each other’s viewpoints.
- “Compound Growth.” By continuously improving and investing in our business and employees, we can achieve sustainable growth and build a strong reputation in our industry. The more we grow, the better we can serve each other and our users.
- “Be Scrappy.” By being scrappy, we can overcome challenges and find innovative solutions to problems, even with limited resources. This helps us stay competitive and agile in a rapidly changing business environment while creating a dynamic and fulfilling workplace.
What are some steps you take to stay true to those values?
We put a huge emphasis on the customer. When it comes to customer obsession, it often means doing what’s best, not what’s easy. We don’t try to check a box off of our to-do list. Instead, we take time to make a lasting impact. In terms of “compound growth,” we don’t settle for “OK.” Instead of being complacent and doing things how they have always been done, we take a pause, step back and assess what would make it better. Just because it has been done that way for so long doesn’t mean it’s the best way.
When it comes to “playing team,” we have a saying that goes, “We all clean the shed.” We’re a team, and we pitch in together. No job is too small for anyone. We accept responsibility and put care into all that we do. Lastly, “seek to understand” has been a major value for us. We’re honest and straightforward with one another, forthright in sharing news, updates and feedback, and willing to have tough conversations while assuming positive intent.
ALIGNING WITH DUBSADO'S VALUES
When searching for traits in employees that indicate their values are aligned with those of Dubsado, we look for the following:
- A servant mindset: Putting others first and measuring their own success based on the successes or experiences of those they serve.
- A “whatever it takes” mindset: Demonstrating a willingness and desire to go the extra mile.
- Proactive problem-solving: Identifying issues or roadblocks early and often and resolving them before they escalate.
- Hearing others out: Fighting criticism and judgment and listening well with the intent to understand.
- Always iterating: Showing they never settle for just “OK,” and always asking what can be improved and continuously sharing ideas for improvement.
- Embrace failure: Taking calculated risks and viewing failure as one of the greatest ways to learn.
- Resourceful, creative and adaptive: Doing more with less, making the most of what they have and always looking for ways to get results without the resources, tools or budgets that others may have.
- A focus on shared strengths: Understanding each person’s unique strengths and how each contributes to the greater good of the team.
- Quality-focused with high attention to detail: Sweating the details and taking great pride in delivering an exceptional experience.
Instil’s platform is designed to help nonprofits optimize their organizational processes and cultivate relationships with their supporters.
What drives Instil’s culture, and why is it so important to your business?
Our culture is rooted in empathy. Building a great product requires empathy for the user. This is especially important for us, considering we build products for nonprofits, which often operate in challenging environments, serving people who are underprivileged, marginalized or disadvantaged. When we put ourselves in their shoes, we can create solutions that meet their needs.
We’re also inwardly empathetic as a team. We’ve created a decentralized culture and want to make sure we’re always questioning our own biases and assumptions. This is key to collaborating effectively with each other on a basis of mutual respect and trust. When people feel supported and valued, they’re more motivated and productive, creating an environment that fosters creativity and innovation.
INSTIL'S CORE VALUES
- “Build Trust Through Transparency and Consistency.” The choice to be here isn’t a half-measure; everyone is a work in progress. We give each other carefully considered feedback. We share how we feel and listen intently.
- “Hire for Humility and Foster Empowerment.” In grade school, we all learned the golden rule. We elevate every voice. We carry our opinions vocally, but with a soft grip and an open mind.
- “It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint.” Our leadership isn’t new to this. We understand what’s necessary for everyone to bring their best self each day. Part of being a team is promoting and practicing healthy boundaries, and we meet people where they are.
- “Confront Your Assumptions. Discomfort and Failure Are Part of Growth.” Psychological safety is key to acting boldly, decisively, and with autonomy. “We’ve always done it this way” can often be the wrong reason to do something. We strive to validate our assumptions rather than accept or dismiss them out of hand.
- “Process Is a Tool. Progress Is the point.” Tools are great. They can also get in the way. Prioritization and efficiency are challenging conversations, but ones worth having.
- “Monocultures Are Fragile.” Diversity strengthens all systems. Central to our hiring strategy is to draw upon as many voices and experiences as possible. Central to our culture is creating a place in earnest where those voices can thrive and feel welcome.
- “Bring Curiosity.” Creativity is an often uncomfortable process. There’s a joy and frustration in that process. We invite one another to share in both, with encouragement and enthusiasm.
What are some steps you take to stay true to your values?
Our engineering, product and design org is committed to a blameless culture. We run blameless retros in which the goal isn’t to find fault, but to find out how we can improve going forward. We don’t allow any individual to claim fault for an issue. Rather, we try to get better as a team. This creates a sense of safety, trust and accountability.
We strive to enable a high level of collaboration between teams and departments, encouraging healthy debates that include diverse perspectives from across the company. The product team continuously converses with our sales and customer success teams regarding how we can bring more value to our users. Regular cross-departmental meetings are especially critical in our remote, post-pandemic world, ensuring we’re avoiding silos and isolation.
We also take a different approach to engineering interviews. We don’t send someone back with homework or make them go through problem sets on a whiteboard. Instead, we have real conversations and talk through various scenarios so that we can learn how they think and communicate in different situations. We interview the way that we work. So rather than putting any one person in the spotlight, we try to create an environment that focuses on all of us. Instead of simply doing things the way they’ve always been done, we drive the most impact by evaluating and refining our processes. That starts with the hiring process and carries through our org structure and how we work, setting up our teams to work effectively.
Rather than simply do things the way they’ve always been done, we drive the most impact by evaluating and refining our processes.”
What are some traits you look for in employees that indicate their values are aligned with those of Instil?
We have a unique hiring process that’s designed to help us understand who someone is, not just what they can do. We look for emotional intelligence, empathy, humility and the ability to effectively collaborate and communicate with others. Mutuality is also important for us. From the very first intake, we ask ourselves, “What are this person’s values and goals, and are we effectively equipped to support them?”
