Culture
At Mahalo, we're focused on building services to help people find, share and create trustworthy content. We do this with topic pages, how to articles, videos and our Q&A platform. Along the way, we would like to create the best writing job on the planet.
Our culture document is not intended as a detailed road map of how we'll accomplish our mission. Those specific tactics will change frequently and they are not that important. What this culture document does is detail the spirit in which we will approach our work.
After a lot of debate and discussion, we've narrowed our culture down to ten words. These are not the only words that describe our team and approach, but we believe they are important. They are:
- focused
- dedicated
- resourceful
- resilient
- fast
- bold
- precise
- collaborative
- gregarious
- quixotic
Let's take a moment to meditate on why we've selected each one.
Focused
In life and business, there are constant opportunities to get distracted. It's important, however, for startups to remain focused on the areas where they can provide the most value. We've chosen the curation and distribution of knowledge as our focus. This is a large space, and within it are many problems waiting to be solved. We do not need to distract ourselves with the countless other opportunities out there. As our investor Mark Cuban likes to say, you can "drown in opportunity."
Dedicated
Mahalo is dedicated to its employees, past and present, community members and, yes, even our casual one-time "users." We show this dedication through constant career development for our team as well as support from the sidelines to our former teammates who have moved on to their next adventure. Individuals at Mahalo are dedicated to our mission, our shareholders, our contributors and each other. We realize that we are "here to serve," and we try to do so with humility and appreciation for the opportunity that has been presented to us. It's not often that you're given the support of the world's greatest investors on the scale we have at Mahalo, and we're thankful for that.
Resourceful
Great companies get the most out of the resources they've been given. Our goal is to get a dollar of value from every nickel we have. Our resourcefulness should be seen in everything we do, from recruiting to marketing, from development to editorial. We should always strive to be thrifty, knowing that the companies that make it are the ones that can keep the lights on during the sparse times.
Resilient
Many companies and entrepreneurs have attempted to solve the same problems we've chosen to tackle--with mixed results. We're in competition with many great companies, and the winner in this race will be the one who overcomes the most obstacles, most efficiently, over the longest period of time. When faced with difficult tasks and down periods, we do not succumb to negativity, but rather fight on with good cheer knowing that "the darkest hour is before the dawn."
Fast
When building a startup company, speed is critical. We can ill afford to wait for people to get back to us, or for the right employee to just magically show up and solve our problems. We have to pursue our goals rabidly, never waiting for permission. We "fail fast," knowing that the path to success is to quickly try new things, learn and iterate.
Bold
Great opportunities require taking great risks, and most people are risk-averse. We push ourselves to innovate and take chances, knowing that most people over-estimate the down side to doing so. While no one will ever be criticized inside of Mahalo for taking chances, some may be criticized for not taking enough chances.
Precise
At Mahalo good is unacceptable. Our benchmark for success is exceptional, and we obsess about the product we're creating because we understand that tiny errors can be the difference between winning a lifelong fan and frustrating a one-time visitor. Everyone on the team looks at our site with a critical eye, developing constructive, actionable advice on how to make it perfect. We solicit feedback from friends and devote hours to chatting with our users because we know that we need to get it exactly right.
Collaborative
We believe in a flat organization with little hierarchy and zero office politics. Our open workspace, group lunch discussions and after-work activities are all designed to nurture a collaborative work ethos. We foster a sense of honest debate in which everyone can have a voice, regardless of their title. Every day, we challenge ourselves to take on complex problems, knowing that we will go further acting as a unit than as individuals.
Gregarious
Mahalo's product is built around a community of engaged, helpful individuals driven by a sense of altruism and fun. It's critical that our team be inviting, fun and friendly with our contributors, partners, users and each other. We believe that life is too short and to not have fun along the way is a big mistake. We work hard to achieve our goals, and we do so with good cheer and a sense of humor.
Quixotic
It takes a fair amount of delusion to take on huge challenges, and even more to do so with the undying belief that you will succeed. We proudly pursue our mission with the knowledge that most would simply not dare to, and find motivation in the knowledge that we are committed to a cause which many find foolish or not achievable.
In Summary
These principles are designed to help us manage our journey from an idea on the white board in the pool house, to one of the top 25 sites in the United States. In times of doubt, uncertainty or frustration please read these basic tenants understanding that nothing great was ever accomplished without the significant sacrifice, perseverance and vision of a core group of dedicated individuals.