Why

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Our operating principles are critical because:

• We recognise just how damn hard the problem we’ve chosen to work on is. We need to be our best selves.
• We all have limited time and multiple choices regarding how we spend it. We’ve chosen to be here. We want to make the most of it.
• We feel fortunate to be working on such a meaningful problem with such amazing people. We want to maintain this.
• Our world is depending on us, we need teammates we can depend on.

Our dream is to create a workplace where every single person is someone you’re genuinely inspired by; someone you respect and learn from. A place filled with lofty ambitions, lots of laughs and intense learning. Imagine that… it’s ours to make.

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On preservation…

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It is no one’s responsibility to “preserve” this culture. Our culture should not be preserved! Our reality will change, and so must our culture. Much like our product, there will be bugs, cultural debt will build up (stuff that no longer works for us) and we will need to refactor/edit our cultural code to meet our objectives. But, we should always be intentional about how it changes so it remains the culture we want.

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↗️

Go Gig or Go Home

High Bar, All In — what we do matters to humanity, to our customers and to each other. We hold ourselves to an extraordinarily high bar and bring the urgency this mission requires.

✅ What does this mean:

• You voluntarily pursue things that require sustained, exceptional effort
• You are driven by strong internal motivation — you can articulate why your work matters personally
• You make specific, structural changes to how you operate (routine, discipline, trade-offs) to deliver on what you care about
• You persist through difficulty without framing yourself as a victim
• You reflect honestly on outcomes — whether success or failure
• You are aware of your limits and deliberately manage yourself to sustain high performance

❌ What this does not mean:

• Performative overwork or martyrdom
• Intensity driven purely by external pressure (deadlines, boss demands) with no internal commitment
• Ego-driven effort disguised as dedication

📑 Example:

• You chose to go deep on a problem that mattered to you, changed your behaviour to sustain the effort, and can speak about it with energy and pride — not obligation.
• When things got hard, you kept going because the mission pulled you forward, not because someone told you to.

🏭

Concrete Honesty

Be honest — as concrete forms the foundation of our world, genuine honesty and transparency are our cultural bedrock.

✅ What does this mean:

• You deliver honest and potentially difficult feedback directly and respectfully
• You give feedback with the intention of helping the recipient improve, not to belittle or make yourself look good
• You are reflective about how you deliver feedback and actively work to improve your approach
• You act with integrity in everything you do
• You are quick to admit mistakes
• You never disagree silently

❌ What this does not mean:

• Giving 'feedback' to make someone else look bad or to elevate yourself
• Delivering feedback indirectly or behind someone's back
• Being blunt without empathy

📑 Example:

• You gave someone difficult feedback directly and respectfully, with the genuine intention of helping them improve. You reflected on the outcome and considered how you could do it better next time.
• Your manager communicated priorities poorly. You address it directly with them rather than complaining to a teammate.

🦾

Autonomous Ownership

High agency, high ownership — we build systems that take control and make things better. We do the same: see it, own it, drive it.

✅ What does this mean:

• You don't wait for others to give you opportunities — you take them for yourself
• When you lack resources, you find a way to make it happen anyway
• You don't blame external factors for success or failure — you adapt based on circumstances
• You are excited about AI and new technologies and actively experiment with how they can make you better
• Your workflow is constantly evolving — you adopt new tools and methods to stay on the cutting edge
• You take ownership of impactful things and drive them forward regardless of challenging circumstances

❌ What this does not mean:

• Waiting for permission or perfect conditions before acting
• Blaming external factors when things don't go to plan
• Fear or resistance toward new tools and ways of working

📑 Example:

• You wanted to do something, lacked the resources, and did it anyway — taking full ownership of the outcome.
• Your work has meaningfully changed in the last 6 months because you're constantly experimenting with new technologies and workflows. You're excited about what's next.

😄

Cement it with Kindness & Fun

Have fun, be kind — we're here to extend earth's life but ours is still limited. We want to enjoy the ride.

✅ What does this mean:

• You value having a great working environment and actively contribute to building one
• You bring your own ideas to make the workplace better — you don't just accept what it feels like
• You really care about your teammates and will help others where you can
• You respect teammates who are different
• You say thanks sincerely and regularly

❌ What this does not mean:

• Making inappropriate jokes or 'fun' of people
• Avoiding difficult but needed conversations for fear of being unkind
• Passively enjoying a good culture without contributing to it

📑 Example:

• You can describe the best work environment you've been in, what made it great, and — crucially — what you contributed to it.
• Someone comes past the office (investor, new hire, partner), you walk past with a big smile and introduce yourself.
• You are the most active person at earnestly using the '#shoutout' Slack channel to recognise teammates.