Torch is mission-driven, but ultimately we’re driven by your mission. Whether you are looking for greater understanding as an employee, a leader, or as a mentor, Torch’s leadership software encourages interpersonal relationships. Those inherent qualities in turn drive how we build out our platform. We at Torch see this break down into five distinct –though interconnected– values.
Shortly after publishing our values as a company, our #dev channel in slack lit up with folks expressing how they would strive to live up to them as engineers and technologists. The following is based on those conversations and features several direct quotes from our team members.
Be radically driven, deeply empathetic
Our thought leaders are driven, but the truth of the matter is that we care most about the end user’s experience. “We’re not just passive observers, but active problem solvers,” we say. “ Like a campsite – when we work on code, we commit code that is cleaner than when we checked it out. We seek to understand each other when working through difficult problems or differences of opinion, keeping future engineers in mind when we write code so that it’s readable, well tested and documented.”
Be accountable for yourself and for the whole
That sense of mindfulness and responsibility infiltrates every aspect of Torch, from the company itself to its employees. “It starts with you, delivering on your promises: do what you say you’ll do, on time and with integrity,” we say on the engineering team. “We get the interconnectedness between how we commit and how that affects the sum of the parts.” That level of accountability means strong communication, which allows our team and our stakeholders to keep expectations in line with reality. Honesty trumps over-promising, making for smart, achievable commitments that benefit all parties involved.
Be self-aware continuous learners
Whether it’s coding or conceiving of strategy, it’s vital for Torch employees to understand what we know, as well as what we don’t know. “It’s important to be transparent about failure and to ask for help when we need it,” we say. “The teams understand that there is power in improvement and in figuring out the depths of it all – of ourselves, our teams, our products.” That means a sense of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceived notions of how to approach craft. “We take the time to research and read documentation pertaining to the task at hand, and show up informed,” our engineers have said. “We build others up by sharing what we know.”
Be present always
Knowledge is key, but it’s not as important as the simple act of being present. “It’s not easy, but we strive to be present to and for each other, for our customers and to our lives,” we say. “We give undivided attention to our work and to others, and don’t gloss over the details.” That openness means that Torch is there for you and your company, no matter what your needs might be, which allows for problems that arise to be solved together. But beyond the customer dynamic, that same sense of presence extends to our own employee-management dynamic as well. “We respect each other’s work/life balance and push back when these boundaries are crossed without good reason.”
Be courageous and lean into the madness
Mindfulness, awareness, interconnectedness, presence…it can sound like a yoga class and not a tech company, but it’s part of what makes Torch so special. And it’s these qualities that can keep you grounded when dealing with the unpredictability of the daily world. “We take risks in an informed manner, understanding the trade-offs and mitigators. We speak up when something isn’t right – even when doing so may be uncomfortable. We don’t double-down when it’s clear that a solution isn’t working, and we’re not afraid to throw it out – even if we worked hard on it.”
Being courageous isn’t only about accomplishing great feats, it’s also about failing. And learning from such failures. From such trial and error comes change and betterment. Torch embraces such change, encouraging its clients and its employees to learn and grow in a similar manner. “At Torch we take smart risks quickly, we prioritize defects and consistently address technical debt,” the team has said. “Innovation, inspiration and change takes courage – the courage to see your $#it, the courage to step in full heartedly, the courage to build something great.”
Are you looking for a change? Perhaps the Torch Engineering team is what you’re looking for. Head over to our engineering careers page to learn more about how to join the team!
