As an early-stage founder, I try to stick with our culture and build a solid team based on it. I believe core values are fundamental to the success of startups, and I'm happy to share our seven core values.
Why the core values matter
Core values represent the shared faith of our team. Everyone at Yess tries to pursue, keep, and align with them. They are the criteria for A to Z, including decision-making and hiring talents. I want to emphasize their value here.
Cultural foundation
Core values lay the groundwork for a strong company culture. They define who we are, how we work, and what we stand for. As the startup grows, these values become ingrained in the company's DNA, influencing how employees interact with each other or customers, how they approach their work, and how they handle challenges.
Unified vision
Having a unified vision is critical for any startup. Core values help foster this unity by aligning everyone toward common goals. This shared vision not only drives immediate results but also positions the company for long-term success. A unified team, guided by clear values, is more resilient and better equipped to navigate the challenges of the business world.
Shared principles
Core values provide a consistent decision-making framework. In an uncertain and rapidly changing environment, having shared principles helps make quick and effective decisions. When every team member understands and embraces the company's core values, they can act with confidence, knowing their decisions are aligned with the company's overarching goals.
Introducing 7 core values
Here are Yess' 7 core values. We define each core value with a simple description and a code of conduct since executing core values, in reality, is much more important than just defining them.
Customer Obsession
We exist for the happiness and success of customers.
Talk to Customers
Insanely great
We insist on the highest standards. Good enough is not enough.
Dive Deep
Curiosity
We enjoy exploring and learning new opportunities. Don’t limit possibility.
Ask 'Why not?'
10X Impact
We think bold and ambitious even though it seems ridiculously unreasonable.
Think Big
Bias for Action
We maximize the velocity of growth, not focus on the perfect plan.
Just Do It
Tenacity
We believe we can make it. We dedicate ourselves to getting things done.
Never Give Up
One Team
We are much bigger and greater than I am. Be proud to be a part of the one and only.
High five
How to make them work
Again, it is difficult to make our core values impact our everyday lives. That said, without tons of effort, it won’t happen in reality by themselves.
Repeat
Repetition is key to ingraining core values into the company's culture. Regularly or intentionally communicating and reinforcing these values ensures that they remain top of mind for every team member.
Use
Core values should be more than just words on a page. They need to be actively used in everyday operations, from decision-making processes to performance evaluations. We have applied our core values to all of the templates we use, including PRD, daily scrum board, sprint retrospective doc, etc.
Achieve
Success should be measured not just by outcomes but also by how well those outcomes align with the core values. Celebrating achievements that reflect our values reinforces their importance and encourages their continued practice.
Core values are our DNA
I see many tech startups care about technical or design debt. However, the CEO should care about culture debt from day 1. Even though we have a lot of money, we cannot buy the most invaluable things, one of which is our culture and the team who believes in it.
This is why we have defined the core values together and tried to keep them everywhere, which makes our team the most differentiated and solid beyond any process or system.
If you feel something special, please say Yess to us! 👋