Toad Lore by Metal Toad

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Toad LoreVolume 1

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husly, you have been deemed

worthy of Toad Lore.

Take this, cherish this, and use

this throughout your

journey during your time at Metal Toad.

Welcome!

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Presented to

Presented by

On this day, the of in the

year .

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What is Toad Lore?Why “Metal Toad”?Our Values, Mission, & TaglineYou’re Already a ToadClients Are PartnersLet’s CommunicateStand-ups, Scrums, & One-on-OnesFistbumps & High FivesWork & Fun Do Go TogetherToad CelebrationsQuiet Hours

Blogging

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WFH FridaysPurchases@metaltoad.comBreaksSocializingFoosball Our FloorplanThe TerrariumRestroomsYes Please to CoffeeBeer, Wine, & BourbonScavenger HuntDeparting the ToadThis Is An Experiment

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CHAPTER

What is Toad Lore?

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oad Lore will be your constant

companion. It’s the company’s

history, mission, values,

cultural practices, and Toad

terminology all rolled into one.

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Consider it a source of truth; a field

guide to help guide Toads — new and old

— along the same path. You won’t find

HR mumbo jumbo here, that’s what the

Employee Handbook is for. Look to Toad

Lore for your growth as a Toad.

Toad Lore is a living, breathing, evolving

token that at all times resembles those

that comprise it. There is plenty of space

for you to fill in the blanks and invent

your own journey. You are encouraged to

do so!

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Why “Metal Toad”?

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metal toad paperweight has

always been present on the

desk of Metal Toad founder,

Joaquin Lippincott.

It came to him by way of his grandfather

whose demeanor communicated quiet

respect and unrestricted availability

to anyone who needed a helping hand.

The day Joaquin needed to pick a name

for his nascent technology consultancy,

the toad was there — quietly helping to

hold down a stack of papers.

Our company draws several things from

its namesake. A toad is humble, and about

the last creature on Earth that could

be classified as vain. A toad is adaptable.

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Around the world, toads thrive in almost

any environment. Be it desert or swamp

or jungle, toads always find a way to

adjust. Finally — from the metal — we

draw our strength and malleability.

It’s one of the most versatile substances

humans have harnessed, used in

everything from armor to transistors to

the hardware upon which Metal Toad

plies its craft.

We strive to embody all the best elements

of our namesake, incorporating them into

our Core Values and Mission Statement.

Like the metal toad paperweight, we

are always here to help anyone who

looks our way.

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Our Values, Mission, & Tagline

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he Metal Toad Core Values:• Help• Respect• Curiosity• Provide Value• Experience

We are helpful.

Toads are eager to help in all our

interactions.

We are respectful.

Toads engage respectfully with anyone

we meet.

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We are curious.

Toads are lifelong learners with insatiable

intellects.

We provide value.

Toads prioritize lasting value over

gimmicks and fads.

We focus on user experience.

Toads craft a wonderful experience inside

every encounter.

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Our mission is to help people seeking the

world’s best technology and practices.

This does not mean that we only

recommend our technology and

practices. We are a helpful bunch. The

Toads are always looking out for Clients.

Our tagline was born from years of

iterative development. It stands for who

we’ve been, who we are, and who will we

continue to be.

We live by a different code.

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We are a different kind of software firm.

We advocate an ethical approach to

creating technology and doing business.

We seek a different kind of Client —

change agents. People who are in need of

a different kind of firm and are compelled

to drive transformation within their

organizations. We become intimately

intertwined in their success. We are their

trusted counsel.

We are Metal Toad. Offering a new way

to business and to develop software

solutions that work.

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You’re Already a Toad

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e greatly appreciate you

putting forth the effort

to become a Toad.

Welcome aboard!

At Metal Toad, we choose our candidates

a little differently than other companies.

We hire for cultural alignment above

anything else, and look for people who

embody and share our values. This is far

more important than the perfect skill set,

education, or ideal work experience.

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We’re craftspeople joining forces to build

something we believe in, and so are

you. That’s all you really need to know.

There’s no need to act like anything

other than yourself because yourself is

what we want. If we wanted a puffed up,

“professional” version of yourself then

we would’ve hired that. We didn’t hire

that. We hired you.

We love you just the way you are.

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Clients Are Partners

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he Toads often have unique

relationships with our Clients.

Often, our Clients become

our friends, our protectors,

and our biggest champions.

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Don’t shy away from getting to know

our Clients personally. We firmly believe

that the difference between a project-by-

project relationship and great, long-term

partnerships is people investing in people.

So don’t be shy. Get to know our Clients

and figure out what’s important to them.

And let’s figure out how to get them

promoted!

You’ll likely be asked to be involved

socially with our Clients. That’s great!

We hired you because you’re a respectful

and caring individual, so don’t hesitate

to let your personality show.

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“We firmly believe that the difference between a project-by-project relationship and great, long-term partnerships is people investing in people.”

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Let’s Communicate

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ll Toads are game for

conversation. There is

no closed-door policy at

Metal Toad and formal

communication channels and hierarchies

are not in our DNA.

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We urge you to talk openly with your

fellow Toads and build relationships

through conversations of all types —

digital, verbal, body-gestural, emoji,

bitmoji, hieroglyphic, or anything else

that comes to mind.

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Whether it’s the Toad-driven Special

Interest Groups (SIGs), Stand Ups,

Scrums, or the Toadcast, safe spaces for

the voices and opinions of all Toads are

present every minute of every day.

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Stand-ups, Scrums, & One-on-Ones

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tand-ups and Scrums

are a part of daily life

at Metal Toad. Both macro-

and micro-social interactions between

leadership, developers, project

managers, sales, marketing, and the

operations team help keep us all on

the same page.

At least once a week, the Toads form

an all-inclusive Knot to give each other

support, introduce new Toads, talk

about company-wide logistics, and dole

out Fistbumps and High Fives.

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Within teams and project groups,

informal scrums are held

every morning. They’re a great

way to maintain communication

continuity and encourage teamwork

within working groups.

There are no formal rules and the

structure will vary, so if for some reason

you feel that your scrum’s not working

for you, let it be known. You’ll be heard

and acknowledged.

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One-on-One Meetings between Toads

serve as a vital part of our culture.

Other than leaders making one-on-

one meetings a safe space for honest

discussion, there are no rules. You are

encouraged to schedule these meetings

however, whenever, and with whomever

you’d like.

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“Other than leaders making one-on-one meetings a safe space for honest discussion, there are no rules. ”

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Fistbumps & High Fives

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oads appreciate each other’s

efforts, privately and publicly.

Fistbumps and High Fives

are a regular occurrence

within our walls, so don’t be afraid

to show your appreciation during group

stand-ups, scrums, through the

#shoutouts Slack channel, and even

a respectful, platonic hug... if you’re into

that sort of thing.

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Work & FunDo Go Together

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t Metal Toad, work and fun are constantly interchanging. Meet-up groups, book clubs, SIGs,

the foosball table (Toad Kombat), ToadCade, the kegerator, the wine fridge, the desktop whiskeys, and extra-office get togethers are part of doing business. It’s not your typical office and we like it that way.

We encourage respectful interaction at all times — in the office or not — and hope that you forge friendships that will last the rest of your life.

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“We encourage respectful interaction at all times — in the office or not — and hope that you forge friendships that will last…”

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Toad Celebrations

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he Toads always earn reasons

to celebrate. Whether it’s

because of a Client success, a

personal milestone, a birthday,

or even a fond farewell, Metal Toad is

always ready to throw down. Launch

Celebrations — either individual or

during the Monthly Launch Party —

are midday bashes that make an indelible

mark on our culture.

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Champagne and sugar are not

uncommon, nor are people excitedly

shouting “Woot!” You are welcome to

do whatever you’d like to celebrate our

accomplishments. Talk to anyone on the

Operations Team if you have celebration

ideas. They’ll make it happen!

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Quiet Hours

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he normal volume level of

our office hovers somewhere

between a room full of 17-year-

olds taking a standardized test

and a room full of 17-year-olds playing

Call of Duty. It might not suit some work

environments; but we enjoy it.

You’ll get a set of quality noise-canceling

headphones on your very first day. Crank

up that Dio and go for broke! All around

you, the quietude will press on.

Quiet Hours are daily from

9:30am – 12pm and from 1pm – 4pm.

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Blogging

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etal Toad isn’t big on paid

advertising. We pride

ourselves on building

relationships through word-of-

mouth referrals and long-term Client

reengagements.

The Blog is the central hub of Toad

knowledge. It’s free and open to the

public, representing Metal Toad’s

thought leadership, both technological

and otherwise.

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We encourage developers, Toads or not,

to benefit from our expertise. You’ll be

doing everybody — your fellow Toads, the

developer community, and even yourself

— a favor when you contribute.

If you have any questions on Blog

formatting, content, or anything else,

grab a Marketing Toad and they’ll

happily weigh in.

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The Blog is the central hub of Toad knowledge. It’s free and open to the public, representing Metal Toad’s thought leadership…”

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WFH Fridays

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hough schedules will not

always allow for you to work

from home on Friday, it is a

common practice. The

Toads encourage you to roll out of bed,

make a cup of joe, and work in

your pajamas.

Give your team a heads up via Slack,

email, or any other previously agreed

upon method of communication when

you’re planning on not coming into the

office. Pajama selfies not required.

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Purchases@ metaltoad.com

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t Metal Toad, you’ll likely need

a thing or two. Whether

that’s a subscription, software

license, a stapler, or a favorite

kind of soda, you are welcomed to email

purchases@metaltoad.com at any time.

There may be a follow up question or

two, but more than likely you’ll see what

you need in very short order. #drones

In the email, please be specific as to

what you are looking for and, whenever

possible, include a link. Though the

Purchase God is mighty, it is not

omniscient... so please spare them any

need for telepathy.

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Breaks

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up. Take ‘em.

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Socializing

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t’s in a Toad’s nature to be social.

Maybe not all the time and in

every circumstance, but there

are plenty of opportunities to

gather. Game Night, Ground Kontoad,

and other clubs and events are open to

any and all Toads.

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Feel free to invite yourself to anything

that is of interest. You are by no means

required to attend events with your

fellow Toads, but you are by all means

welcome.

Are you affiliated with a local or national

group that needs space to meet? Please

let all interested parties know that Metal

Toad’s doors are open to anyone in need.

Reach out to the Operations and/or

Marketing Toads for assistance. They’ll be

happy to help!

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Foosball

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hen is it appropriate to play

foosball? Whenever a worthy

challenger approaches you.

And though you have right of refusal, the

Toads encourage you to battle bravely at

every opportunity.

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Our Floorplan

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he open floorplan

was designed for three

distinct reasons:

• Collaboration

• Collaboration

• and Collaboration

The Toads thrive on getting together

to solve problems. Feel free to use

a breakout room, desk-to-desk roll-a-

chair action, or a two-seater bicycle

if one’s handy… your call.

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Though it may be tempting, cutting

through the orange cloth curtains is

in stark violation of the Toad Code

of Conduct. If such a document truly

existed, it would be very anti-shortcut.

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Trust us. Those curtains are the Toads’

sacred cows.

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The Terrarium

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elcome to your new kitchen.

You now have ownership of

this space. Throw your glasses

and plates in the dishwasher when you’re

finished with them, wipe up your crumbs,

and discard your refuse.

Your kitchen — and your fellow

Toads — will be most appreciative.

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Restrooms

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hey have party lights.

Get used to it.

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Yes Please to Coffee

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he Toads love coffee. A lot.

Due to high demand, we are

in a state of constant brew.

If you are the lucky soul who

hears the last gasps of a once-full

carafe, you alone hold the responsibility

for making a new batch. If you need

instruction on how to grind the aromatic

artisan beans to fill the filter and

get the pure Portland water flowing, grab

a fellow Toad. They’ll happily show you

the ropes.

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Beer, Wine, & Bourbon

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lcohol is commonplace

at Metal Toad, as is fun.

Although responsible

imbibition is welcome at

any point throughout the afternoon,

you’ll notice that the keg and wine

fridge typically open around 4pm.

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Scavenger Hunt

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ithin your first few weeks,

the Toads encourage you to be

brave. We are proud of the

warm and welcoming culture we have

created here, and if you’ve made it

through our grueling interview process,

guess what? You already ARE a Toad.

So introduce yourself. Join the Lunch

Train. Join a SIG or Book Club. Write a

blog. Play some foos. Hop on a scooter.

We know how socially challenging

entering a new workplace can be —

especially one with a lot of tightly knit

relationships — and the Toads want

you to know how happy we are that

you’re here.

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Why not make experiencing Metal Toad a

game? By the end of your first few weeks,

we expect you to have completed most of

the following:□ Join a lunch train.□ Erase a whiteboard.□ Ride around the office on a scooter.□ Download Galactive!□ Proudly point out our custom elevator

button to a stranger.□ Get your photo taken.□ Enjoy a beverage and a conversation

with a fellow Toad.□ Play an arcade game or foosball...

and defend against the double dragon.□ Write a blog post about anything

you want.

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□ Work or read quietly in the Fishbowl.□ Give somebody a #shoutout on Slack.□ Listen to a Toadcast and leave a

comment.□ Press every button on the elevator.

There could be a quiz on what you see.□ Give a Fistbump at standup.□ Rally a group for an afternoon ice

cream run. Or a donut run. Or a run

run if you’re a healthy type.

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Departing the Toad

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ost companies shy

away from this topic.

It can be a pretty awkward

conversation to have, but we think

openness and honesty makes it a

lot easier.

When the time comes for a Toad to do

their own thing or join another mission,

know that the Toads support you 100% in

your search for happiness and fulfillment.

We just ask that you be considerate in

how you go about leaving our lilypad.

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This Is An Experiment

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etal Toad does things a little

differently. It’s true. Just

look around you. Normalcy

ain’t really our bag. And you are now

part of the experiment. We hope you’ll

make an indelible impression and help

us continue to grow. Don’t hold back

your great ideas and feedback.

Make us better. We double dog dare you.

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o be continued…

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