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by I was meeting with a former TrendKite colleague recently and we started reminiscing about what made working at TrendKite so special. Of course there is a sense of pride in helping a company grow from infancy to a $225M acquisition, but it’s more than that. We shared memories about the Friday lunches where the whole company would come together, after-work happy hours, ping-pong matches and late nights on “closing day”.
The topic then switched to stories of how many of our friends and colleagues had been disappointed after moving on to new companies that didn’t seem to spark the same passion and sense of camaraderie. The funny thing is that all the new companies had arguably better perks… nicer offices, even more bountiful kitchens, and company offsite trips to amazing locations. So what was it about TrendKite that created so much magic for the employees and enabled incredibly high performance year after year?
As we have been building LoudCrowd my goal is to really instill the most important factors. We want to carry on the best values from TrendKite. Here are a few of the ways we are doing that.
Be Passionate
There is no better feeling than knowing you did your very best. Passion is infectious. We want to make sure everyone at LoudCrowd is passionate, which starts with hiring, but is re-enforced everyday but our team. Whether it’s attacking challenges head on, striving to achieve personal bests, anticipating customer needs, or just simply bringing an enthusiastic attitude to the office everyday, building a great culture starts with having passion.
Strive for continuous improvement, not perfection
We have an immense amount of confidence in the people we hire, and we feel like we are very spoiled by the talent in the room. That being said, we stress every week that no one is perfect, that it’s OK to make mistakes, and that the most important thing is we need to challenge ourselves to improve everyday.
Treat your coworkers like family
Some people don’t want to see their colleagues outside of work. We hope that’s never the case here. At a smaller company, we believe it’s possible for colleagues to truly enjoy spending time with each other, and we work hard to foster an environment where everyone is exceedingly happy and comfortable amongst peers.
Celebrate wins as a team
Never take wins and accomplishments for granted. And there are very few examples of when the entire team did not contribute to an accomplishment. It takes a village.
Having fun!
Working at a startup is taxing, but it’s an incredible opportunity. There is no more rewarding way to build a career and develop long-lasting friendships.
About LoudCrowd
We believe that the most effective way of marketing and selling your product is through word-of-mouth marketing. Currently, the best (and most engaging way) for brands to scale word-of-mouth marketing is through User Generated Content (UGC) on social platforms like Instagram. LoudCrowd helps you analyze your UGC and incentivize your customers to grow it.
About the Author
Justin Papermaster is the founder of LoudCrowd. He’s spent ten years in the marketing-tech industry working with some of the leading brands in the world including Nike, AB Inbev, Adidas, and many, many more. He’s a proud father and husband, and when he’s not building companies, he spends his free time with his family, skiing, cooking, and gardening.
