Our Core Principles

Culture Matters.

I have been fortunate in my career to have had the opportunity to work at, and help build, several successful and industry defining companies before joining Fauna. I started off in the early 90s at Intel in the era of Andy Grove, author of High Output Management, when they were a dominant force in technology. In the early 2000’s I had the opportunity to help build and scale a new enterprise software business for Microsoft and I spent the better part of the last decade helping build and scale Okta.

One thing that all of these companies have in common is a strong culture that is deeply ingrained in the way they operate. Foundational to that culture is a set of well-defined and clearly articulated values or principles. Principles that define the “how” behind the way employees work together, treat customers, engage with partners, and conduct themselves. Principles that also help candidates and the company decide whether there is a mutual fit and that the company uses to develop and grow employees once they start.

When I joined Fauna I was very excited to take my experiences, combine them with those of the founders and leadership team, and define the core principles that now serve as the foundation for our company culture.

We have a bold mission at Fauna:

How we achieve this mission collectively is equally, if not more important than what we achieve together. As we grow the team it is also super important to attract colleagues whose core principles are aligned with ours. Getting that alignment right is a major driver of happiness and fulfillment for everyone at Fauna.

To that end, we have been purposeful about writing down our core principles and are committed to living by them.

We believe these principles create a framework for all of our actions. They guide everything we do, including how we interact with our employees, customers and community, and our vendors and business partners.

Solve for the Customer

We succeed when our customers succeed. We listen, learn and anticipate their needs so that all customers, not just the loudest, can realize their ambitions. We strive to delight developers, foster a vibrant community, and be a strategic business partner that our customers can trust.

Be Optimistic and Think Big

We are ambitious, with big goals. We are micro pessimists but macro optimists. We communicate bold directions and will look around corners for ways to achieve them. We maintain perspective and unite to overcome challenges. We co-create solutions instead of choosing to blame and criticize.

Innovate Where it Matters

We innovate deliberately to achieve a distinct competitive advantage and are not limited by a “not invented here" mentality. We avoid undifferentiated heavy lifting by embracing partnerships and taking advantage of products and services that are continuously improving.

Own it and Make it Happen

We build our company like it’s ours, because it is. We work hard and smart with a bias towards actions that deliver results. Speed matters so we don’t let perfection be the enemy of good enough. We commit and deliver. If we make a mistake, we own it, fix it, learn from it and move on.

Seek the Best Idea, then Commit

We stay curious, creative and always seek out unique perspectives. We dive deep into the details and raise questions when metrics and anecdotes differ. We have conviction and challenge ideas, even when it’s uncomfortable. Once a decision is made, even if we prefer another, we disagree and commit.

Act with Integrity

We are open, honest and respectful. We listen attentively and speak candidly, continuously working to build mutual trust and understanding across all levels of the organization. We are transparent in our communications and actions with each other, customers, partners and our broader community.

Work as One Team

Great achievements are the result of many, not just one. We strive to do our best, check our egos at the door, and always give each other the benefit of the doubt. We are all company owners and always do what’s best for the organization overall.

Attract and Develop the Best

We hire, develop and empower the best. We believe that being the best requires diversity, which fosters innovation, creativity and empathy in ways that homogeneity cannot. We embrace our differences, recognize talent, and invest in mechanisms and coaching to proactively develop careers.

Stay Hungry & Humble

Only the paranoid survive. We avoid hubris and strive to do better, no matter how much we achieve. We recognize that complacency means irrelevance and we relentlessly seek opportunities to improve.

As we grow, our processes and strategies will change, but these 9 principles will persist. If they resonate with you and you are looking for the next big challenge in your career, please join us!