Life at Wondrous Systems:
Where Greatness is Built Together Through Diligence
Welcome to Wondrous Systems, a place where we believe in building not just innovative technology, but also a thriving environment for our people. Our culture is guided by a set of principles drawn from the collective wisdom of experts and the insights of successful leaders, ensuring that every member of our team can contribute their best work and grow both personally and professionally. We understand that good work is the culmination of hundreds of tiny details, and we are committed to the relentless focus on the smallest stuff.
Our Foundation: The Four Pillars of Greatness, Built with Care
At Wondrous Systems, we strive for greatness through mastery within four key pillars:
The Self: We believe that self-awareness and self-mastery are fundamental, cultivated through detailed self-review. We encourage continuous self-reflection and provide resources to support your personal and professional growth. We understand that "one can have no smaller or greater mastery than mastery of oneself".
The Story: We recognise the power of clear and compelling communication, understanding that mindful communication prevents haste and waste. We encourage everyone to "own the narrative" and connect "the what" to "the why". We understand that "stories are the single most powerful weapon any leader can arm themselves with".
The Philosophy: Our actions are guided by a philosophy of continuous learning and improvement, embracing the principles of respect for authority, diligence, faith, smart work and honesty, leading to “continuous improvement". We believe in adapting our processes and embracing new possibilities through sweating the small stuff. Your "philosophy is the set of beliefs, values or principles that guide your behaviour", and we encourage a growth mindset where small improvements will cumulatively push the business forward.
The Team: We know that our strength lies in our people. We foster a collaborative and inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and empowered. "Every company... is just a group of people", and we prioritize building strong relationships and understanding that a small miss now creates a big miss later.
How We Work: Principles of Diligence in Action
Effective Management & Leadership: Our managers are dedicated to supporting your growth through regular and helpful one-on-ones. We believe in performance as an ongoing conversation and encourage open feedback. We strive to be the manager our report needs, showing care and setting clear expectations. We understand that "management is a different set of APIs". We also recognise that leading through change is normal.
Open Communication & Transparency: We believe in scaling communication through writing and being transparent in our decisions. We strive to clearly communicate decisions and ensure they are understood by the appropriate people. We actively work against the illusion of an "open door" being enough and seek meaningful conversations.
Culture by Action: We understand that "culture is what you do when the unexpected happens". We are committed to building a culture of continuous kindness and encourage everyone to step back and understand situations before reacting negatively. We strive to define our culture before it defines itself and recognise that building a good culture is a daily endeavour. We believe that sweating the smallest stuff extends to ensuring a positive and inclusive environment.
Teamwork & Collaboration: We actively work on making new teams feel like a team and encourage prioritizing building relationships with your peers. We value strong partnerships and recognise the positives of being challenged.
Welcoming New Joiners: We take onboarding seriously. Every new team member receives a personalised "WELCOME PACK!" document to guide their initial days and weeks. We assign an onboarding buddy to help you navigate the early stages. We onboard people, not just technology.
Making Decisions: We aim to make deliberate choices about our product development with effective roadmaps. For significant decisions, we depend on informed wisdom as well and proper documentation to ensure thorough review and alignment. We understand that many decisions will be made with imperfect information and encourage a mindset of curiosity. We also understand the importance of becoming a Plan-A thinker by actively seeking out reasons why an idea might be bad.
Continuous Improvement: We believe that "good process is evolved, not designed". We encourage sharing insights and advocating for best practices. We also believe in the power of "Friday Wins" to maximise ambient awareness and celebrate progress. We strive to avoid the trap of simply saying "just" when discussing technical tasks and encourage asking for details.
Diligence in Execution: We understand the importance of getting deployment right on day one. We focus on growth to improve employee engagement and encourage the creation of professional development plans. We recognise that engineering productivity involves balancing product delivery with sustainable engineering. We are mindful that a small miss now creates a big miss later and implement simple rituals to assess our course and make the necessary small adjustments, as frequently as possible.
Feedback and Growth: We believe in providing meaningful, in-depth feedback that helps individuals take pride in their accomplishments and identify areas for improvement. We encourage a culture where team members can have multiple follow-up conversations to ask deeper questions. We also encourage reports to keep track of the work they’ve done to date to aid in career conversations and onboarding new managers.
Embracing Uncertainty & Change: We understand that dealing with uncertainty is a key part of our work. We encourage a mindset of leaning in to new and challenging ideas rather than resisting them. We recognise that leading through rapid change is normal and requires strong communication, motivation, and focus. We believe in sweating the small stuff even during times of change to maintain stability and progress.
At Wondrous Systems, we are committed to creating an environment where you can thrive, contribute meaningfully, and be part of building something truly wondrous through diligent effort and continuous improvement. We value your unique perspective and believe that together, by focusing on the details and consistently striving for better, we can achieve great things.