From 70056eb996e01278aedb1b0a9e13a6b71caf3418 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Mike McNeil Date: Sat, 5 Mar 2022 00:00:27 -0600 Subject: [PATCH] Handbook: incorporate feedback from team conversations in late 2021 (#4484) * Handbook: incorporate feedback from team conversations in late 2021 * incorporate Ben/Martin/Noah/Tony feedback * Update company.md * reorganize some of the new ideas to be easier to read (#4485) * more cleanup * Update company.md * Update company.md --- handbook/company.md | 90 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++------------------- 1 file changed, 52 insertions(+), 38 deletions(-) diff --git a/handbook/company.md b/handbook/company.md index 738d1f975..6e524594c 100644 --- a/handbook/company.md +++ b/handbook/company.md @@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ We are dedicated to: ### All remote Fleet Device Management Inc. is an all-remote company, with team members spread across 4 continents and 7 time zones. The wider team of contributors from [all over the world](https://github.com/fleetdm/fleet/graphs/contributors) submit patches, bug reports, troubleshooting tips, improvements, and real-world insights to Fleet's open source code base, documentation, website, and company handbook. +### Open source +The majority of the code, documentation, and content we create at Fleet is public and source-available, and we strive to be broadly open and transparent in the way we run the business; as much as confidentiality agreements (and time) allow. We perform better with an audience, and our audience performs better with us. ## ๐ŸŒˆ Values @@ -72,56 +74,63 @@ Empathy leads to better understanding, better communication, and better decision - talking with users and contributors is time well spent - embrace the excitement of others (it's contagious) - make small talk at the beginning of meetings + - be generous (go above and beyond; for example, the majority of the features Fleet releases [will always be free](https://fleetdm.com/pricing)) - apply customer service principles to all users, even if they never buy Fleet - be our guest - legendary digital/human experience ### ๐ŸŸ  Ownership - + + + - take responsibility - - follow through on commitments (actions match your words) - think like an owner - - be efficient + - work on things that matter (understand "why?") - be valuable (consider business impact) - - work on things that matter + - follow through on commitments (actions match your words) - fast forward 12 months, consider total cost of ownership (the eternity of maintenance) - - understand "why?" (or tell me why I'm wrong) - - agree, or disagree and commit anyway +- be responsive + - respond quickly, even if you can't take further action at that exact moment + - when you disagree, give your feedback; then agree and commit, or disagree and commit anyway + - prefer short calls to long, asynchronous back and forth discussions in Slack + - procrastination is a symptom of not knowing what to do next (if you find yourself avoiding reading or responding to a message, schedule a Zoom call with the people you need to figure it out) - we win or lose together - - it's worth it to help team members and contributors - - help unblock users, customers, and other contributors (including colleagues) - - help team members and contributors get all the way done, delivered all the way to completion + - think about the big picture, not just your team's goals + - you're not alone in this - there's a great team of people able and happy to help + - don't be afraid to spend time helping users, customers, and contributors (including colleagues on other teams) + - be proactive: ask other contributors how you can help, regardless who is assigned to what + - get all the way done; help unblock team members and other contributors to deliver value - take pride in your work - - reread anything you write for users + - be efficient (your time is valuable, your work matters, and your focus is a finite resource; it matters how you spend it) - you don't need permission to be thoughtful - - every real-world edge case deserves handling (be thorough) -- take yourself seriously - - you are on a hero's journey - - even boring tasks are more motivating, fun, and effective when you care - - motivate yourself intrinsically with self-talk + - reread anything you write for users - take your ideas seriously (great ideas come from everyone; write them out and see if they have merit) + - think for yourself, from first principles + - use reason (believe in your brain's capacity to evaluate a solution or idea, regardless of how popular it is) + - you are on a hero's journey (motivate yourself intrinsically with self-talk; even boring tasks are more motivating, fun, and effective when you care) - legendary results ### ๐ŸŸข Balance Between overthinking and rushing, there is a [golden mean](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_mean_%28philosophy%29). -- think, fast - - balance thoughtfulness and planning with moving quickly +- iterate + - baby steps + - pick low-hanging fruit (deliver value quickly where you can) + - think ahead, then make the right decision for now + - think, fast (balance thoughtfulness and planning with moving quickly) + - look before you leap (when facing a non-trivial problem, get perspective before you dive in; what if there is a simpler solution?) - move quickly - "everything is in draft" - - pick low-hanging fruit (deliver value quickly where you can) - avoid gold-plating - aim to deliver daily - move quicker than 90% of the humans you know - less is more + - focus on fewer tasks at one time - "boring solutions" - - prefer short calls to long, asynchronous back and forth discussions in Slack - avoid bikeshedding - bite off what you can chew - finish what you start, or at least throw it away loudly in case someone wants it - - focus on fewer tasks at one time - - iterate by taking baby steps - make time for self-care - to help you bring your best self when communicating with others, making decisions, etc - consider taking a break or going for a walk @@ -134,48 +143,53 @@ Between overthinking and rushing, there is a [golden mean](https://en.wikipedia. - be curious - - "strong opinions, loosely held" - ask great questions & take the time to truly listen - - listen intently, and genuinely try to understand - - change your mind (in the face of new evidence) - - it's better to make the right decision than it is to be right -- be realistic - - practical about your limits and what's possible with the time and resources we have + - listen intently to feedback, and genuinely try to understand (especially constructive criticism) + - see failure as a beginning (it is rare to get things right the first time) - question yourself ("why do I think this?") +- underpromise, overdeliver + - quality results often take longer than we anticipate + - be practical about your limits, and about what's possible with the time and resources we have + - be thorough (don't settle for "the happy path"; every real-world edge case deserves handling) +- prioritize truth (reality) + - be wrong, show your work (it's better to make the right decision than it is to be right) + - "strong opinions, loosely held" (proceed boldly, but change your mind in the face of new evidence) - avoid sunk cost fallacy (getting attached to something just because you invested time working on it, or came up with it) - be fair to competitors ("may the best product win.") -- prioritize truth (reality) - - be wrong - - show your work + - give credit where credit is due; don't show favoritism - facts, over commentary -- think for yourself - - from first principles - - use reason - - believe in your brain's capacity to evaluate a solution or idea, regardless of how popular it is - speak computer to computers + - a lucky fix without understanding does more harm than good - when something isn't working, use the scientific method - especially when there is a bug, or when something is slow, or when a customer is having a problem - - a lucky fix without understanding does more harm than good - assume it's your fault - assume nothing else - legendary rigour ### ๐ŸŸฃ Openness -The majority of the code, documentation, and content we create at Fleet is public and source-available, and we strive to be broadly open and transparent in the way we run the business; as much as confidentiality agreements (and time) allow. We perform better with an audience, and our audience performs better with us. + - anyone can contribute - be outsider-friendly, inclusive, and approachable - [use small words](http://www.paulgraham.com/writing44.html) so readers understand more easily - prioritize accessible terminology and simple explanations to provide value to the largest possible audience of users - welcome contributions to your team's work, from people inside or outside the company + - get comfortable letting others contribute to your domain - believe in everyone +- write things down + - "handbook first" + - writing it down makes it real and allows others to read on their own time + - never stop consolidating and deduplicating content (gradually, consistently, bit by bit) - candor - - faster, better decisions + - "short toes" (don't be afraid of stepping on toes) - don't be afraid to speak up (ask questions, be direct, and interrupt) + - give pointed, respectful feedback + - take initiative in trying to improve things (no need to wait [for consensus](https://twitter.com/ryanfalor/status/1182647229414166528?s=12)) + - communicate openly (if you think you should send a message to communicate something, send it; but keep comments brief and relevant) - be transparent - "public by default" + - build in the open - declassify with care (easier to overlook confidential info when declassifying vs. when changing something that is already public from the get-go) - - open source stewardship: the majority of the features Fleet releases [will be free](https://fleetdm.com/pricing) - [open source is forever](https://twitter.com/mikermcneil/status/1476799587423772674) - legendary transparency