In 2019 I was asked by Textio’s co-founders to lead a squad that would identify and clearly articulate the company’s central ethos and enduring values. The company had succeeded for years without writing down its core mission and principles, but as we grew it was clear that we needed to make them more tangible, so that both current and future employees would be able to more clearly understand the nature of the work culture they were opting into at Textio.
Working closely with a small group that included Textio’s co-founders, I set up a series of structured brainstorming sessions and workshops that moved us quickly from dozens of possibilities to a final set of four key principles. The internal rollout had an overwhelmingly positive reception. More than a year later I still see these principles cited frequently in Slack conversations, meeting notes, and project plans. After the internal rollout we built a dedicated page to share them publicly on our marketing website.
Lead with curiosity
We love to ask and listen, because the most enduring innovations arise from real human needs. We challenge assumptions, since the strongest ideas are rarely the easiest or most apparent ones. We embrace ambiguity, knowing that meaningful change comes from people eager to solve hard problems.
Learn by making
We build early, rather than waiting for the perfect solution to reveal itself; we need to see how stuff works. We experiment often, confident that a strong point of view will only get stronger when we test it. We’re partners in creativity: our best work grows in the space we make for each other’s ideas.
Lean into the details
We’re artisans of quality, viewing every decision in the light of how it contributes to the whole. We choose with intentionality, seeing the impact of our actions and owning the trade-offs. We strive to fill the gaps, knowing that all the little things add up to more than their sum.
Listen to the loop
We map out our path to success, so that for each goal attempted, we’ll know when we’ve reached it. We measure our progress and act on the outcomes; we’re accountable to the visions that we create. We launch, we learn, we celebrate, and then we go again: further, together.
