general.md

🌍 GENERAL GUIDELINES

1. Working in the IO team is cooperating with the most talented people you've ever worked with, being the most productive you'll ever be, learning the most awesome things you’ve ever learned and creating software that is helping the most people you've ever reached.
2. We recognize that inspiration is perishable, so if you’re enthusiastic about something that generates great results in relatively little time feel free to make a proposal and work on that.
3. Do what is right for our users and customers, do what is best over the long term, don't be evil.
4. Share problems you run into, ask for help, be forthcoming with information and speak up.
5. Don't display surprise when people say they don't know something, as it is important that everyone feels comfortable saying "I don't know" and "I don't understand."
6. If you think some piece of information could be valuable, write it down and share it.
7. Work out in the open, try to write shared Google documents (or GitHub docs) instead of keeping your ideas in your head or on your computer.
8. Most things are shared with everybody unless there is a reason not to. Not public by default are: financial information, legal, job applications/compensation/feedback and partnerships with other companies.
9. Share solutions you find and answers you receive with the whole team.
10. If you make a mistake, don't worry, correct it and proactively let the affected party and your team know what happened, how you corrected it and how. If needed, you change the process to prevent future mistakes.
11. You can always refuse to deal with people that treat you badly and get out of situations that make you feel uncomfortable.
12. Everyone can remind anyone in the team about these guidelines. If there is a disagreement about the interpretations, the discussion can be escalated to more people within the team without repercussions.
13. We want to have a great company so if you meet people that are better than yourself try to recruit them to join the team.
14. Make a conscious effort to recognize the constraints of others within the team. For example, Sales is hard because you are dependent on another organization, and Development is hard because you have to preserve the ability to quickly improve the product in the future.
15. Everyone in the team cares about your output. Being away from the keyboard during the workday, doing private browsing or making personal phone calls is fine and encouraged.
16. There is no need for consensus, make sure that you give people that might have good insights a chance to respond (by /cc'ing them) but make a call yourself because consensus doesn't scale.
17. Everything is always in draft and subject to change, including this handbook. So do not delay documenting things and do not include draft in the titles of documents. Ensure everyone can read the current state, nothing will ever be finished.
18. Explicitly note what next action you propose or expect and from whom.
19. When you reply to a request please do so after you have completed the request or indicate when you plan to do it. In the latter case always send a second message when the request is complete.
20. Most guidelines in this handbook are meant to help and unless they state otherwise it is meant to help more than being an absolute rule. Don't be afraid to do something because you can't oversee all guidelines. Be gentle when reminding people about these guidelines, for example say: "It is not a problem, but next time please consider the following guideline from the handbook".