Developing and building strong values set the tone for a business, and that tone can direct a company’s culture and growth for years to come. Mission defines your goals and product provides a channel through which value is delivered to your customers, but neither provide direct scaffolding for how your team will operate, and what principles they will depend on to execute on your mission and build your product. Values do just that: They are the guidelines for behavior and action, establishing a unique culture for your team and therefore a singular brand personality experienced by customers, investors and external stakeholders.

At Hatch, we invested a good chunk of time and energy into developing our values early on, and we’re constantly referencing them as we build our product, interact with our customers and collaborate as a team. Our seven values are 1) team first; 2) err on the side of empathy; 3) maintain a growth mindset; 4) be helpful; 5) be optimistic; 6) be results-oriented; and 7) no idea is too crazy.

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