Culture is about “how work gets done” and what makes Diffblue different to other organizations.
Diffblue mission
Diffblue seeks to revolutionize how software is created through AI for code. This is incredibly challenging and can also be chaotic. So we navigate using our customer’s problems as a compass, using customer data to avoid guesswork. We succeed as a company and as individuals by solving difficult customer challenges.
Diffblue is made of people who are extremely passionate, care deeply about the mission, put customers first and get stuff done – without unnecessary drama.
Values and behaviours
1. Because we value Customers, we are Outward-looking
We deal with the world the way it is, not the way we wish it would be. We constantly seek to understand buyers and users, so that we can start with their problems and build solutions. If we don’t know how to solve a customer problem, we ask for help and so grow our capability for action. We define success as growing, happy customers.
2. Because we value Impact, we are Empowering
We give employees the autonomy to decide the best thing to do within their areas of responsibility, and hold them accountable for timely results against OKRs. While we strive for success, because our OKRs are challenging we fail sometimes and that is OK provided we learn and improve from the experience. We take ownership of what we do.
3. Because we value Speed, we are Action-oriented
We ask ourselves “what should we do?” to achieve an outcome, and then we follow through by taking action. We balance planning and reacting: we avoid “analysis paralysis” and take the simplest action that solves the problem, because speed matters. Then we build on that simplicity by listening to feedback, amending decisions when we get new information, and iterating quickly.
4. Because we value Empathy, we are Respectful
We are open and honest and stay humble. We’re all in this together and have different viewpoints – which we celebrate. None of us can do this alone, so we assume good intent and challenge respectfully when we see a problem or disagree. Before sharing our thoughts, we ask: is it true, is it relevant and is it kind? We treat others the way they want to be treated. Once a decision is made, we commit whole-heartedly.
5. Because we value our Communities, we Give back
We recognize that building a software company is a team sport and our team can only thrive when it contributes to and learns from the wider communities of which it is a part. Giving back gives us a sense of purpose and new perspectives. We take the time to give back to the communities that support us, and we cheer on colleagues who support their communities in whatever way is meaningful to them.
How we think about success
Happy customers define success because they drive our growth. Every team’s success is defined by the positive impact they make on customers. Every team should be able to stand up in front of the company and explain how their work helps customers, and every person should be able to explain how their actions contribute to their team’s success.
How we think about failure
If something goes wrong, it’s a learning experience. As long as we use the experience to do a better job next time, it will not be a failure. We openly share what we’ve learned in retrospectives, post mortems and win/loss interviews.
We do not let the possibility of negative outcomes stop us from taking measured risks. Our actions come with the responsibility to learn from failure. In fact, if things are not going wrong now and again it shows we are not trying new things.
How we think about inclusion
To help our customers and do our best work, we need to empathize with others. And so we hire a diverse group of people, from all parts of the world, and all walks of life. We are proud that we have an international team and we celebrate our differences. Everyone should feel free to be themselves at work.
