The Mission and Culture of Palo Alto Software

Mission and Culture

WHAT IS CULTURE?

A set of shared beliefs, values, and practices.

Why do we care about culture?

Great culture attracts

great people.

A great culture helps people deliver their

best work.

This document is about our culture:

Who we are and whowe aspire to be.

BUT FIRST...

What are we trying to do? What’s our mission?

DID YOU KNOW...

Most businesses fail in 5 years

That number isNOT GOOD

We can (and do)help businesses last longer than 5 years

We can make a difference

There are29 Million

small businesses in the US

500,000 new businesses

are created every month

If just a small percent last a few years

longer, the entire economy grows

A rising tide lifts all boats

(our company & our customers)

OUR MISSION:

We help people succeed in business

How are we doing it?

We’re revolutionizing how small businesses

track performance. We’re FitBit for Small Business

CULTURE will help us get there.

1 We rely on data

2 We solve for the customer

3 We’re transparent

4 You have the autonomy to be awesome

5 We’re picky about our peers

The PAS Culture

We rely on data“Without data, you are blind and deaf

and in the middle of a freeway.” —Geoffrey Moore

1

1. WE RELY ON DATA

Test EverythingAssumptions are great— but they need validation

Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

Distill ideas down to the basics before investing time & money in the real thing.

1. WE RELY ON DATA

But quality is always important

“Minimum viable” doesn’t mean low quality, shoddy work.

1. WE RELY ON DATA

Question the status quo

All ideas are welcome. Not all can be implemented.

1. WE RELY ON DATA

We aren’t a democracy

Data will be analyzed, and at the end of the day, the project lead has to decide.

Not all decisions will be popular.

1. WE RELY ON DATA

Solve for the Customer

It’s not about our success, it’s about our customers’ success.

2

“What’s in it for Garrett?”

Garrett is our target persona. Would he be happy with this product

or this marketing campaign?

2. SOLVE FOR THE CUSTOMER

We love to teachSuccess comes from educating

our customers, not exploiting them.

2. SOLVE FOR THE CUSTOMER

But a bankrupt company can’t help

customersCustomers pay a fair price for

things that have value.

2. SOLVE FOR THE CUSTOMER

TransparencyPower is gained by sharing knowledge,

not hoarding it

3

We share everythingWeekly company updates with

sales reports and team priorities keep everyone in the loop

For obvious reasons, salaries and HR issues are not shared.

3. TRANSPARENCY

Have a question? Just ask.

Anyone. Any time.

3. TRANSPARENCY

Financials? Strategy? Hiring?

We share everything that we can realistically and legally share.

3. TRANSPARENCY

Autonomy to be Awesome

“Work is a thing you do. Not a place you go.”

4

Results are most important

Every job has metrics and goals.

4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME

Where you do your work is not important

As long as people know where you are and can reach you, do your work where

you’re most efficient.

4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME

But we value in-person collaboration

Sometimes the best ideas come from casual interactions with

your co-workers, especially those that aren’t on your team.

4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME

Take as much responsibility as you

can handleThere’s always more to do

than people to do it.

4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME

We support youUnlimited free books. Just buy them

and turn in the receipt.

Online education? Just talk to your manager.

4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME

You’re the expertWe don’t just help entrepreneurs, we want everyone in the company to be entrepreneurial. You must be

an expert at what you do (or be working hard to become an expert).

4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME

We try not to have too many policies

that hold you back

4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME

A universal policy: “Use good judgment”

This covers almost everything. Use good judgment to do what’s good for your team, good for the company,

and good for our customers.

4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME

“Use good judgment” An example:

We don’t have an official travel policy.Just “use good judgment” when you

get your meals, book a hotel, etc. Think: “Would I spend my own money this way?”

4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME

For some people, this much autonomy can be

uncomfortableOur inclination towards as much

autonomy as possible can come off as a lack of direction.

4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME

But our mission stays the same

We’re just always trying to find a better way to get there. That’s why you have

to be an expert.

4. AUTONOMY TO BE AWESOME

We’re picky about our peers

5

Our employees make us who we are.

5. WE’RE PICKY ABOUT OUR PEERS

PAS Employees are:Effective Get shit done

Dynamic Bring on the change

Interesting Sushi lessons?

Curious Don’t stop hunting

Smart There’s always more to learn

5. WE’RE PICKY ABOUT OUR PEERS

EffectiveTake the ball and run.

Better to ask forgiveness than permission.

No analysis paralysis.

5. WE’RE PICKY ABOUT OUR PEERS

DynamicFlexible in a constantly

changing landscape.

Willing to try new things.

Not afraid of change.

5. WE’RE PICKY ABOUT OUR PEERS

InterestingRead and share interesting things.

Someone you want to talk to and learn more about.

Do interesting things outside of work.

5. WE’RE PICKY ABOUT OUR PEERS

CuriousAlways learning.

Intrigued by new ideas.

Always searching for ways to do things better.

5. WE’RE PICKY ABOUT OUR PEERS

SmartPeople who are intelligent and curious will

learn how to do virtually any job.

If you aren’t an expert, you will figure out how to become one.

Hire to elevate Bring in people that are better

than you at something. They’ll elevate the rest of the team.

5. WE’RE PICKY ABOUT OUR PEERS

5. WE’RE PICKY ABOUT OUR PEERS

Our products are world class and we’re

building a world class team.

People in 180+ countries have used our software and tools.

1 We rely on data

2 We solve for the customer

3 We’re transparent

4 You have the autonomy to be awesome

5 We’re picky about our peers

The PAS Culture

Thank you for being part of our team!