It’s hard to overstate the importance of an organization’s culture. Culture is an organization’s instinct; it determines what an organization will do in response to a given situation.
stimulus + culture = behavior
Situations constantly evolve from internal execution, stakeholder interactions, external collaboration, and more. I’ve seen first-hand toxic cultures that drive talented people away and supportive cultures that retain incredible talent despite all odds. I’ve seen how cultures can lead to transformative innovation and stagnant inaction. I’ve seen individuals change because of the culture they’re immersed in, and I’ve seen individuals change the cultures they’re a part of for the better. Ultimately, an organization’s culture determines its destiny.
At Trinsic, we’re addressing one of society’s hardest problems—establishing trust. It’s easy in person to prove who we are on, but digitally it’s impossible. That creates a trust deficit that costs our economy billions of dollars. We believe that as trust increases, the world and its useful services will be more accessible to people who need them. In order to tackle this, we need brilliant, passionate people and a culture where those people will thrive.
At Trinsic, that culture is one of ownership, building, and friendship.
Ownership
Owners are different than renters, borrowers, or hired guns¹. Owners are motivated intrinsically to make things happen and to solve problems. Ownership opens the mind to new possibilities, causes people to learn and grow faster than they otherwise could, and is extremely fulfilling. But it’s also challenging.
Owners know what they’re in charge of and are accountable for their work. Owners are ambitious and motivated by the mission. Owners seek to win together with their colleagues for the good of the mission, not to get credit for themselves.
Everyone at Trinsic has equity in the company. That means everyone is literally an owner and is incentivized to act in the best interest of the firm as a whole. Everyone, from the founders to new interns, has meaningful decision-making authority over their domains of ownership which are transparent to everyone.
Building
Builders are skillful craftspeople who take intentional care to create. We build for the long-term in an iterative, step-by-step fashion. We all take skillful, thoughtful action toward creating long-lasting results. We are calculated, action-oriented do-ers and keep our eye single to the mission as we build.
Everyone at Trinsic is an individual contributor. There will never be roles which are strictly management (at least, not for a very long time); engineering leaders will never stop writing code, and business leaders will never stop developing the business. Decisions are made quickly, and people are never blocked from taking action.
Friendship
Friends are enjoyable to work with, and at Trinsic we’re friends with one another. We are eager to befriend new kinds of people because we believe humanity is beautiful, and different people and perspectives will make us better. Friends are inclusive, honest, ethical, and supportive. Friends are trustworthy and communicate clearly about work.
Everyone at Trinsic is encouraged to develop relationships with others on the team. As a remote team, we are intentional about developing these relationships in work and play. Deceit, harassment, intimidation, and other inappropriate behaviors are intolerable. We care about and root for each other, both professionally and personally.
Journeys
Startups can be likened to other kinds of difficult journeys. There are obstacles and challenges along the way to a worthwhile outcome. Some kinds of journeys are challenging but predictable. Others are uncharted and require creativity and resilience to succeed.
Mountaineers embark on a journey to reach new heights; some of which are death-defyingly dangerous or require tactful execution to succeed. Many difficult mountaineering journeys are impossible to accomplish solo; they require a team of sophisticated and trusted allies to accompany.
Trinsineers
Trinsineers are people who’ve agreed to take the journey to make the world more accessible to people everywhere. We’re a team of people who happen to be working together inside a legal entity called Trinsic. This journey is not a casual stroll, but an expedition. As Trinsineers, we’re developing a culture that is not only helping us accomplish our goals but bringing fulfillment and enjoyment along the way. Trinsineers are owners, builders, and friends.
We’re looking for more Trinsineers to join our team. If ownership excites you, you’re passionate about building great things, you’re friendly & like other friendly people, and want to work on something with a *huge* potential for impact, we’d love to talk with you.
Check out our Careers page and get in touch. We look forward to taking the journey with you!
Notes
- Contemporary thinkers have made the distinction not as owner vs renter, but as missionary vs mercenary. But the principle is as old as the Bible’s passage about “shepherds vs hirelings“.
