16. The Palo Alto Software
Culture
1 We rely on data
2 We solve for the customer
3 We’re transparent
4 We give you the autonomy to be awesome
5 We’re picky about our peers
6 We value community
17. We rely on data
“Without data, you are blind and deaf in
the middle of a freeway.”
-Geoffrey Moore
18. Test everything
No matter how good we are,
we can always get better.
Changes and experiments are encouraged,
but they need validation.
1. WE RELY ON DATA
19. Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
Distill ideas down to the basics before
investing time & money in the real thing.
1. WE RELY ON DATA
20. Bias for Action
Moving fast is important.
Don’t get bogged down by chasing
perfection.
Validate assumptions and take it to the next
level if it works.
1. WE RELY ON DATA
21. But quality is always important
“Minimum Viable” doesn’t mean
low-quality, shoddy work.
1. WE RELY ON DATA
22. Question the status quo
All ideas are welcome.
Not all can be implemented.
1. WE RELY ON DATA
23. We aren’t a democracy
Data will be analyzed, and at the end of
the day, the project lead has to decide.
Not all decisions will be popular.
1. WE RELY ON DATA
24. Solve for the customer
It’s not about our success,
it’s about our customers’ success.
25. “What’s in it for Garrett?”
Garrett, the bike shop owner, is our target
persona. Would he be happy with this
product or this marketing campaign?
2. SOLVE FOR THE CUSTOMER
26. We love to teach
Success comes from educating our
customers, not exploiting them.
2. SOLVE FOR THE CUSTOMER
27. But a bankrupt company
can’t help customers
Customers pay a fair price for things that
have value.
2. SOLVE FOR THE CUSTOMER
29. We share everything
Weekly company updates with
sales reports and team priorities
keep everyone in the loop.
3. TRANSPARENCY
For obvious reasons,
salaries and HR issues are not shared.
32. Autonomy to be awesome
“Work is a thing you do.
Not a place you go.”
33. Results are most important
Every job has metrics and goals. How
we attain them can be different for
each person.
4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME
34. Where you do your work
is not important
As long as people know where you are and can reach you,
do your work where you’re most efficient.
Need flexibility for family, appointments, or anything else?
No problem.
4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME
35. But we value in-person
collaboration
Sometimes the best ideas come from casual interactions with
your co-workers, especially those that aren’t on your team.
If that means you might bring your kids to the office
sometimes, great!
4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME
36. Take as much responsibility
as you can handle
There’s always more to do
than people to do it.
4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME
37. We support you
Unlimited free books.
Just buy them and turn in the receipt.
Continuing education
Just talk to your manager.
Healthy bodies = healthy minds
We have a generous gym benefit.
Paid parental leave
Because you should have the time you need.
Standing desks
Want one? Just ask.
4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME
Generous PTO
Start with three weeks and get an extra day every year you work
with us.
40-hour work weeks encouraged
You have a life outside of work and we want you to be happy to
be here.
Paid volunteer time
Because our community is important, too.
Family friendly office
Kids are always welcome.
plus, excellent health/vision/dental, 100% 401k match up to 4%
of your salary, and much more…
38. One policy:
“Use good judgment”
Make informed decisions, be frugal and
take action.
4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME
39. Just don’t ruin it for the
rest of us
4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME
We don’t want to have a bunch of policies so don’t
force us to create them because of poor decisions.
Just think, “Am I doing the right thing for my team
and the company?”
40. For some people, this much
autonomy can be uncomfortable
Our inclination towards as much
autonomy as possible can come off as a
lack of direction.
We do have big-picture goals, but no fixed
way of achieving those goals.
4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME
41. You're the expert
We don’t just help entrepreneurs, we want
everyone in the company to be entrepreneurial.
You must be an expert at what you do.
(or be working hard to become an expert)
4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME
43. PAS employees are:
Effective Get shit done
Dynamic Bring on the change
Interesting Sushi lessons?
Curious Don’t stop hunting
Smart There’s always more to learn
5. WE’RE PICKY ABOUT OUR PEERS
44. Hire to elevate
Bring in people that are better
than you at something. They’ll
elevate the rest of the team.
5. WE’RE PICKY ABOUT OUR PEERS
45. Our products are world class,
and we’re building a
world-class team.
People in 180+ countries have
used our software and tools.
5. WE’RE PICKY ABOUT OUR PEERS
46. We support each other and
the community in which we
live and work.
We value community
47. One for all:
We care about the people who make it all
happen. We can’t do it alone. Sometimes you
put your work aside to help a colleague or put
what’s good for the team, first.
6. We value community
48. The bigger picture:
Palo Alto Software and our employees
depend on the Eugene community. It’s our
duty to give back by donating our time and
resources to causes we care about.
6. We value community
49. The PAS culture
We rely on data
We solve for the customer
We’re transparent
You have the autonomy to be awesome
We’re picky about our peers
We value community