High Performing Culture - Part Two
Quick Catch Up
This is a series of articles about Endertech’s Fundamental Behaviors of Success. These “Fundamentals”, as we call them, are a set of 24 behaviors that we believe are crucial to maintaining and expanding our high performing culture.
Check the links to your left to get caught up!
Fundamental #2: Master Your Craft
Our corporate fundamentals document (circa 2016) states it this way:
Master Your Craft: Study and practice your craft daily. Stay on top of best practices. Put these best practices into action for our clients.
When I started Endertech in 2000, I felt that the only way I could confidently serve people, was to feel confident in my own mastery as a web developer, Linux sysadmin, and overall computer guru.
So, I spent day and night studying and practicing… until I could set up my own web & email servers from hardware components, install and configure operating systems from source, and build websites from raw code.
I knew that if I understood the low level hardware, the Linux operating system, and web programming languages deeply, that I’d be forming a rock solid foundation from which I could create anything online.
So this is the foundation upon which Endertech was built, and this is the standard that I apply to my employees… that whatever role you choose to play… you choose to be a master of the skills required.
How We Become Masters
First… start with humility. Remember that you do not already know everything… no matter how long you’ve been in the game.
Second… study & practice every day. At Endertech, we have very intentionally hired people who already have a demonstrated love of learning. We then support their natural inclination by giving them new opportunities to learn with every project.
There is no “stamping out widgets” at Endertech. Our management is very conscientious of ensuring that our staff is challenged with every project. We are constantly pushing our team members to use projects as an opportunity to try out a cutting edge technology, and improve their processes and efficiency.
This keeps the team engaged… it keeps us all learning… and it has grown us into the masters of web & software development that we are… without us even realizing it some times.
What Are the Results?
The results are felt in several ways.
When you, as our client, or potential client, come to visit us and talk about your project… you will be able to feel our competence.
In contrast to some of our competitors… you won’t get any smoke blown over here… no false promises… only real, practical, down to earth solutions that are born of experience.
If you’ve spoken to more than one developer, you should be able to sense how genuine and sincere we are in comparison. This feeling you have is because we really know what we’re talking about.
The result is also felt in the bottom line. We get more work done faster and cheaper at higher quality.
Now, that doesn’t mean the *cheapest*… that means the best overall combination of Good – Fast – Cheap.
Lastly… the results are felt in the words of our team members who have shared their thoughts on the subject:
“Master Your Craft” by Rob Olmos, Endertech’s CTO
“Master Your Craft” by Juan Castillo, Endertech’s Creative Director