Atsign Core Values

At Atsign (formerly The @ Company), we are building a flat organization, where decisions that impact the success of the company will be made at every level. As a group, we put together a list of core company values for everyone to keep in mind when they are making decisions. The process of building this list turned out to be a lot of fun!

Purpose

These are the core values of Atsign. When decisions are made by teams or individuals on the company’s behalf, those decisions should align with the core values of the company.

Values

People

1. People first — Always prioritize people, whether they are employees, customers, investors, developers, or friends of the company. Their experience with us and our products should make them understand that they come first. Atsign provides a safe place for people on the internet, but it is also a safe place to work, where ideas are explored instead of dismissed and there are no dumb questions. Most importantly, we respect people’s privacy.
2. Have fun — When we started the company we decided we were never going to scare people into engaging with our products/company. We want to create great experiences for people. Fun is a big part of that. If you are working on something and it is not fun, walk away until you can figure out a different approach.
3. Learn — You should always be growing and learning while working at Atsign. Pick projects where you are learning or helping others to learn. Take courses and workshops relevant to your project.

Team

1. Collaboration/teamwork — “None of us is as smart as all of us” — Ken Blanchard
2. Project focused, not “territory” focused.
3. Ask for help and offer help — If you are stuck with a certain problem or roadblock, always feel free to ask for help. If you see someone needing help and you know how to help or someone else who can assist, do not hesitate.
4. Communicate often and clearly.
5. Agility as a team — We evaluate, reevaluate, and pivot often and as needed. We do our best to steer clear of stagnation and dogma.
6. Purpose, Community, Honesty, Humility — Have fun, and give fun experiences.
7. Virtual environment — We are a virtual company which allows us to work with the best in the ways that they work best.

Creativity

1. Bold ambitions — We are working to change the world, which requires both baby steps and bold strokes, don’t be afraid of either.
2. Think about things backwards — If you get stuck or feel like the project you are working on isn’t going well, stop and rethink the whole thing backwards. At Atsign, we are turning many models upside down, so the answer is often in the reverse of what you would normally think.
3. Simplicity always wins — Making something simple is often harder and takes more time, but is always worth the effort.
4. Trust in atMagic — Alchemists who turn development pain into magic! Trust your instincts.
5. Continuous improvement — There is always room for improvement. If you find something in the company that could be improved or done differently irrespective of which group it falls under, challenge it and present your idea.
6. Don’t overthink — Just start doing and learn along the way.
7. Do it anyway — We are the silent revolution going against the grain in many ways but “do it anyway” (page 18 ED103793.pdf).