the mission and culture of palo alto software
DESCRIPTION
This presentation represents the mission and culture of Palo Alto Software. It is who we are and who we aspire to be. Inspired by the culture decks of Netflix and Hubspot, we created this deck to communicate that as a company, we: 1. Rely on data 2. Solve for the customer 3. Are transparent 4. Give our employees the autonomy to be awesome 5. Are picky about our peersTRANSCRIPT
Mission and Culture
WHAT IS CULTURE?
A set of shared beliefs, values, and practices.
Why do we care about culture?
Great culture attracts
great people.
A great culture helps people deliver their
best work.
This document is about our culture:
Who we are and whowe aspire to be.
BUT FIRST...
What are we trying to do? What’s our mission?
DID YOU KNOW...
Most businesses fail in 5 years
That number isNOT GOOD
We can (and do)help businesses last longer than 5 years
We can make a difference
There are29 Million
small businesses in the US
500,000 new businesses
are created every month
If just a small percent last a few years
longer, the entire economy grows
A rising tide lifts all boats
(our company & our customers)
OUR MISSION:
We help people succeed in business
How are we doing it?
We’re revolutionizing how small businesses
track performance. We’re FitBit for Small Business
CULTURE will help us get there.
1 We rely on data
2 We solve for the customer
3 We’re transparent
4 You have the autonomy to be awesome
5 We’re picky about our peers
The PAS Culture
We rely on data“Without data, you are blind and deaf
and in the middle of a freeway.” —Geoffrey Moore
1
1. WE RELY ON DATA
Test EverythingAssumptions are great— but they need validation
Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
Distill ideas down to the basics before investing time & money in the real thing.
1. WE RELY ON DATA
But quality is always important
“Minimum viable” doesn’t mean low quality, shoddy work.
1. WE RELY ON DATA
Question the status quo
All ideas are welcome. Not all can be implemented.
1. WE RELY ON DATA
We aren’t a democracy
Data will be analyzed, and at the end of the day, the project lead has to decide.
Not all decisions will be popular.
1. WE RELY ON DATA
Solve for the Customer
It’s not about our success, it’s about our customers’ success.
2
“What’s in it for Garrett?”
Garrett is our target persona. Would he be happy with this product
or this marketing campaign?
2. SOLVE FOR THE CUSTOMER
We love to teachSuccess comes from educating
our customers, not exploiting them.
2. SOLVE FOR THE CUSTOMER
But a bankrupt company can’t help
customersCustomers pay a fair price for
things that have value.
2. SOLVE FOR THE CUSTOMER
TransparencyPower is gained by sharing knowledge,
not hoarding it
3
We share everythingWeekly company updates with
sales reports and team priorities keep everyone in the loop
For obvious reasons, salaries and HR issues are not shared.
3. TRANSPARENCY
Have a question? Just ask.
Anyone. Any time.
3. TRANSPARENCY
Financials? Strategy? Hiring?
We share everything that we can realistically and legally share.
3. TRANSPARENCY
Autonomy to be Awesome
“Work is a thing you do. Not a place you go.”
4
Results are most important
Every job has metrics and goals.
4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME
Where you do your work is not important
As long as people know where you are and can reach you, do your work where
you’re most efficient.
4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME
But we value in-person collaboration
Sometimes the best ideas come from casual interactions with
your co-workers, especially those that aren’t on your team.
4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME
Take as much responsibility as you
can handleThere’s always more to do
than people to do it.
4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME
We support youUnlimited free books. Just buy them
and turn in the receipt.
Online education? Just talk to your manager.
4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME
You’re the expertWe don’t just help entrepreneurs, we want everyone in the company to be entrepreneurial. You must be
an expert at what you do (or be working hard to become an expert).
4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME
We try not to have too many policies
that hold you back
4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME
A universal policy: “Use good judgment”
This covers almost everything. Use good judgment to do what’s good for your team, good for the company,
and good for our customers.
4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME
“Use good judgment” An example:
We don’t have an official travel policy.Just “use good judgment” when you
get your meals, book a hotel, etc. Think: “Would I spend my own money this way?”
4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME
For some people, this much autonomy can be
uncomfortableOur inclination towards as much
autonomy as possible can come off as a lack of direction.
4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME
But our mission stays the same
We’re just always trying to find a better way to get there. That’s why you have
to be an expert.
4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME
We’re picky about our peers
5
Our employees make us who we are.
5. WE’RE PICKY ABOUT OUR PEERS
PAS Employees are:Effective Get shit done
Dynamic Bring on the change
Interesting Sushi lessons?
Curious Don’t stop hunting
Smart There’s always more to learn
5. WE’RE PICKY ABOUT OUR PEERS
EffectiveTake the ball and run.
Better to ask forgiveness than permission.
No analysis paralysis.
5. WE’RE PICKY ABOUT OUR PEERS
DynamicFlexible in a constantly
changing landscape.
Willing to try new things.
Not afraid of change.
5. WE’RE PICKY ABOUT OUR PEERS
InterestingRead and share interesting things.
Someone you want to talk to and learn more about.
Do interesting things outside of work.
5. WE’RE PICKY ABOUT OUR PEERS
CuriousAlways learning.
Intrigued by new ideas.
Always searching for ways to do things better.
5. WE’RE PICKY ABOUT OUR PEERS
SmartPeople who are intelligent and curious will
learn how to do virtually any job.
If you aren’t an expert, you will figure out how to become one.
Hire to elevate Bring in people that are better
than you at something. They’ll elevate the rest of the team.
5. WE’RE PICKY ABOUT OUR PEERS
5. WE’RE PICKY ABOUT OUR PEERS
Our products are world class and we’re
building a world class team.
People in 180+ countries have used our software and tools.
1 We rely on data
2 We solve for the customer
3 We’re transparent
4 You have the autonomy to be awesome
5 We’re picky about our peers
The PAS Culture
Thank you for being part of our team!