Company Culture: The Detected Way
It goes without saying that at the heart of every successful startup lies a team of passionate individuals who are constantly striving to push boundaries. However, this can’t be achieved without a positive, supportive and energising environment. Our culture is just that; a friendly and closely knit community that is eager to make change, enjoy success and support each other every step of the way.
Company culture is a term that is thrown around a lot - but in a primarily remote working startup like ours, it directly affects success. In this article we delve into the dynamics of our team and the crucial roles each team member plays in shaping our culture. We talk to Lauren Sipple, Head of Operations, Jack Rawden, Chief Product Officer and Eddie Harrison, Growth Executive to hear about their experiences of working at Detected.
Detected culture in practice:
Lauren has been part of the company since almost the beginning. As Head of Operations she’s involved in every conversation, every important decision and, outside of her responsibilities, is the beating heart of our culture:
“When in the office, coffee breaks with the team have become standard practice. We all have extremely busy schedules, but we know that staying productive requires time to recharge. So if we’re based in the office, we all go out for coffee at 3pm every day. This not only boosts productivity (Thanks to a refreshing break and a caffeine hit!) but allows us to stretch and chat about non-work related topics bringing us closer together as a team.”
“Every week, I prioritise touching base with the entire team, either through a quick Slack message or a brief huddle. I’ve found that as we’ve grown, to maintain a positive company culture, checking in with everyone individually encourages open communication and trust. I always want everyone to know that they are valued and when a huge amount of our team is remote, I want to make sure they still feel included and connected.”
“We also gather monthly for workshop sessions and presentations, however, we sometimes want to focus on team building and celebrating our achievements. For example, earlier this month we took the team to the F1 Arcade in St Pauls for some racing, food and drinks. We all work hard so these occasions are important to organise. They offer us a chance to unwind, celebrate our accomplishments, and strengthen our bond as a team.”
Reflecting on the wider importance of culture and how it’s impacted Detected since its inception Lauren commented:
“Culture is so important to me and along with the founders, it’s something we’ve been passionate about building since the beginning. It also plays a significant role when we hire. Skills and experience are always important, but company fit, which can’t be taught, is key.”
Nurturing culture in a remote first company:
Currently, the team at Detected is in various locations. One of those locations is Edinburgh, where Jack Rawden is based. Jack is our Chief Product Officer and has been working remotely for over a year now but you would be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn’t consider him one of the friendliest and funniest people in the team. Achieving this is not an easy task when you’re miles away from everyone else but Jack recounts key bits that make it possible:
“It may sound simple but it comes down to great communication. My product team takes part in a combination of standups, one to ones and wider company meetings to make sure that we’re always interacting together. Having so many video calls actually removes the ‘distance barrier’; you become so familiar with the format that you don’t even think about the physical distance between you and your colleagues and act as you would if you were sitting in an office with them.”
“Of course, I couldn’t be a product guy without mentioning how technology has also helped create a great culture. Collaborative tools such as Slack, Miro and Figma are a must and make remote working more enjoyable. For example, if the whole team is working on a new sprint, laying out ideas on a Miro board together, adding comments and seeing everyone actively working at the same time is a great feeling. When our ideas then get released onto the Detected platform there’s a collective pride throughout the team.”
While spending the majority of time working remotely Jack also highlights the importance of times spent being able to work together in person:
“The value of meeting up as an entire team to celebrate your successes and workshop complex ideas cannot be overstated. Once a month the entire company, or at least a whole team, will meet up to have an office-based team day. These days strengthen the relationships that we form from behind our screens and keep us motivated towards achieving the same goal. At Detected, we’ve formed a perfect balance that allows everyone to work effectively while still operating as an efficient team.”
Embracing everyone, observations as a new joiner:
Eddie Harrison joined us a few months ago as a Growth Executive placing him in the middle of Detected’s sales, marketing and general day to day operations. Eddie, is now a confident and valued part of the team and when talking to him he says that the reason he was able to fit in and develop so quickly was hugely down to the team’s friendliness and the wider company culture:
“Since joining I noticed very quickly how the “little things” are what really helps to settle you down. Whether it’s a shoutout in a slack channel or a quick huddle from a colleague to sound out some ideas, actions like these help to ease those initial nerves and make you feel part of the team. Likewise, being immediately involved in company-wide projects and being given sole responsibility over some of those projects has really helped me to feel comfortable and confident in my role.”
“I have seen first-hand the value of transparency through open lines of communication throughout all levels of the organisation. For example, sitting in on strategy meetings and leading sales calls alongside the CEO gives me exposure to knowledge which at this stage of my career I am very fortunate to have and experience.”
Truthfully, in the fast paced and somewhat hectic lifestyle that all startups have to endure, it’s easy to lose track of yourself. Eddie comments on how regular check-ins have helped his personal development and provide some stability:
“I’ve only been here for 3 months, but already conversations on how I can develop both my personal and professional career have been at the forefront of monthly check-ins. Meanwhile weekly stand-ups with the team also act as a good reminder of what work to prioritise, any challenges that need to be addressed and how everyone is feeling. There’s a lot going on and having these check-ins are very important touchpoints to help keep things running smoothly.”
Finally, Eddie reflects on how the culture has simply become a part of the his working way:
“Being part of a company where everyone is so eager to succeed is infectious, we are aligned on working towards one goal which includes on an individual level making positive change in the company. Seeing the progressive attitude around the company it’s impossible not to approach my work in the same way.”
An evolving environment
This is just a snapshot of the team and culture at this moment in time. The environment within the company constantly adapts and evolves much like the product itself. As the team highlighted, this special culture has been fostered both from little acts of kindness and larger cross company team building events. Allowing individuals to be themselves, communicate freely and support each other when the times get tough will always remain as core aspects of the environment within Detected.
Detected’s success has come from its people, without them. The company’s culture supports and promotes the passion, drive and determination our team has to make significant change.
