On our job site or on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter you'll find many reasons to work for LEAN-Coders. But what are the downsides?
We're taking the step to do some anti-advertising for ourselves... or against us - however you see it.
Why? Because the team dynamic is extremely important to us. If your values, ideas, and working methods don't align with ours, it creates an uncomfortable situation - for everyone.
I want to try to produce as little "hidden marketing fluff" as possible and instead be clear, open, and reflective. Enjoy!
#1 Our "Company DNA" Doesn't Fit You
This is the most important point for us: We love diversity, but we are strict about how we work in a few areas. Our "DNA" consists of the core values of our collaboration, and besides decency and respect for one another, which are so obvious I won't mention them here, it mainly includes the following 2 points:
- Extreme Transparency We live transparency through and through. All employees know all financial figures of the company, and everyone knows what all colleagues earn, including the CEO, CTO, etc. That sounds great, but you need to be clear about one thing: If you are a team lead with us, all your team members can also find out your salary. We make no compromises here, as extreme transparency also has extreme advantages. It prevents all gossip and envy debates from the start. Additionally, issues like salary gaps are rendered moot. We would like this kind of transparency to become the standard in business, but there are things we cannot influence...
- Freedom = Creativity Within legal limits, we embrace the greatest possible freedom in designing work tools, operating systems, work location (remote first), and working hours (business hours). This sounds cool at first, but you need to understand that it also has downsides. Because despite our remote-first approach, teamwork is extremely important to us, and as a lone wolf, you won't be happy here. We actively exchange ideas in chats, meet for quarterly events, engage in sports together, and of course, casually at our office locations. We believe that the more freedom you have in your work design, the more creativity is fostered. And creativity is one of the most important resources in a field where each project is unique and requires individual approaches.
#2 We Are Still Small
We are (still) not a multinational mega-corporation, which has various consequences. For example, we actually have "flat hierarchies," which means we are very quick in decision-making processes. On the other hand, this also means intrinsically fewer "advancement opportunities."
Of course, our developers go through the classic development stages (Junior -> Senior) and can also choose to switch to areas like software architecture, project management, or technical sales, or develop as they wish in these fields. However, if you want to "climb the ladder" in a traditional sense, a large corporation would be a better fit.
#3 Sometimes It Gets Chaotic
We are agile, dynamic, and fast. Sometimes too fast. Sometimes we do things for which we haven't yet created and established perfect structures and processes. It can get a bit chaotic. If you are a process-driven, detail-oriented person who wants to change the world for the better, we look forward to having you - to help bring a bit of order back into the chaos!
#4 Fail Fast, Learn Fast!
Did I mention that we sometimes rush ahead too quickly? Trying new things without knowing how well they actually work?
This is perfect if you're a creative mind who loves to try new technologies and make an impact. It fits us perfectly - as long as you can also reflect afterward on how well the experiment went and what can be improved in the future.
But if you prefer to stick to tried-and-true methods (which is also a valid approach) and just want to apply what you've learned over the next few years, LEAN-Coders might not be the perfect workplace for you.
#5 We Live and Demand: LEAN
LEAN is more than just a buzzword for our company name or some marketing pitch. LEAN is what sets us apart from our competitors. That sounds nice at first, but it also has practical implications for you:
When you work with us, you will learn the theory and practice of LEAN in the medium term. We proactively challenge ourselves and optimize our processes, our offerings, and our source code.
We won't leave you alone in this. We have plenty of training materials around LEAN, a collection of "LEAN cases" with practical examples, and workshops/retrospectives where you can actively participate in how we continuously improve ourselves, our software projects, and the entire company through the LEAN approach.
For this, you need to be willing to learn something about LEAN. But above all, you need to be ready to adjust your mindset to LEAN: There is always something to optimize!
Oh, and: Clean Code is a must! And never check in source code that doesn't build! And linting will not be skipped! And...
#6 Responsibility and Ownership: Empower People!
With us, you are not a small cog in a big machine. We live by the principle: Empower people!
This means that as soon as you are no longer in "junior status," you will receive more and more responsibility in projects. Anything is possible - even complete project management. We will consider your wishes and goals.
We promise you: It will never be boring with us. It will be challenging, exciting, and extremely rewarding. But if you prefer to hide behind the monitor and take it easy - we are definitely not the right fit for you.
#7 Gaming in the Office
We take our work very seriously and dive right in. But now and then, you need to clear your head, and that can be done with coffee, CrossFit, an after-work beer at the nearby Irish pub, or with video games, depending on your personal preference.
Yes, we game - both remote and in the office. Mainly Mario Kart, Among Us, and StarCraft. We are open to suggestions. Of course, we consider our colleagues and don't scream wildly around. The office should also be a place for focused work :-)
We stand by the fact that we organize our working hours as we see fit. Therefore, there are no rules about when gaming is allowed. It's free for all. And it will stay that way. If you don't like gaming, that's perfectly fine. But let your colleagues have their fun. Envy has no place here. And we don't find it "unprofessional" either. If that bothers you, you're in the wrong place.
Are you already put off?
If not, check out our job site now and get in touch with us - at the only software company where you've read why you should not apply :-)
