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Scaling Company Culture Je Lawson @jeel twilio.com
ScalingCompany
CultureJe! Lawson
@je"eltwilio.com
January 10
August 11
February 12
Continuous ImprovementDetail OrientedLearnersHumbleHungry
Spirit of Challenge
Jan ’10 “Values”
What is culture?What are values?What’s the di!erence?
People
Product
Process
Culture is living values.
Values are observed in three tangible ways:
RitualsHeroes
Symbols
Rituals
New Employees Build a Twilio App in their first 2 weeksAnswer 20 support ticketsAttend 7 “Twilio 101” SessionsPresent their app and get “knighted”Get a “Buddy” to show them the ropes
New Engineers Deploy code their first day (Add their name to the website)
RitualsMonday, 10:30 AM All Hands (w/ Bagels)
Read some recent tweetsIntroduce new EmployeesLearn their NamesAll Hands AppreciationAll Hands Q&A
Monday, Noon Company Lunch, Meet new People
Wednesday, 6PM Company DinnerNew Employee Demo their Twilio AppTrack Jackets & Kindle “Knighting”Spin the Birthday Wheel of Fate
Thursday, Noon Lunch w/ Tech Talk for continued learning
Friday, Noon End of Sprint DemosPhotoshop Friday
Heroes
Our 9 Things
Symbols
Live The Spirit of Challenge✤
Tackle hard problems. If our ambitions aren’t terrifying, we aren’t pushing ourselves
enough.
Empower Others✤
We’re here to unleash the greatness of others, inside and outside the company.
Start with Why✤
Start by understanding why customers will care. Use data to challenge assumptions.
Create Experiences✤
Every interaction with Twilio should inspire confidence and admiration.
No Shenanigans✤
Be thoughtful. Always deal in an honest, direct and transparent way.
Be Humble✤
Everybody has something to learn, so seek first to understand, then be understood.
Think at Scale✤
Anticipate where we’re going and invest in systems that provide a consistent customer
experience as we grow.
Draw the Owl✤
There’s no instruction book, it’s ours to draw. Figure it out, ship it and iterate.
Draw the Owl✤
There’s no instruction book, it’s ours to draw. Figure it out, ship it and iterate.
Be Frugal✤
Profit is the engine that lets us achieve our goals. If we do more with less, we can do
more.
Our
9 T
hing
s Live The Spirit of Challenge
Empower Others
Start with Why
Create Experiences
No Shenanigans
Be Humble
Think at Scale
Draw the Owl
Be Frugal
“How did we get here? The firm changed the way it thought about leadership. Leadership used to be about ideas, setting an example and doing the right thing. Today, if you make enough money for the firm, you will be promoted into a position of influence.”
"The value of your company is driven by your company’s values."
Howard Schultz, Starbucks
ScalingCompany
CultureJe! Lawson
@je"eltwilio.com
