Careers at Guava

Are self-motivated. They do not require a team or manager to be highly productive. A team and manager are accelerators. They optimize for the team’s overall progress, not just their own.

Are candid. They will share their thoughts and opinions whenever they think it will benefit the company, with the assumption that they will sometimes be wrong and that's normal. They understand that receiving truthful feedback is extremely important to improve their own competence and the company's success.

Are aggressive learners. They will learn their way out of any situation where their current knowledge seems limiting. They value learning as one of their most productive behaviors and continue learning as quickly as they can throughout their entire life. They understand that static memorized skills are less useful as the 21st century progresses.

Create measurable value. They verify with real measurements whether each incremental action they take actually has the effect they wanted, and modify their actions accordingly.

Act decisively and move quickly. They realize that informed decision making is a continuum and that getting more accurate information is not always helpful to overall progress. Decisions made are usually correct, and when incorrect they are openly admitted and quickly corrected.

Think from the ground up. They reason using first principles and do not accept any statement as absolute truth, regardless of how authoritative the source, unless they understand every detail leading to that statement and why each detail is true. They never use the word “can’t” unless combined with a first principle that would be violated.

Take ownership. They take deliberate personal action to make progress rather than merely complaining or waiting on others. They understand that there are no fundamental blocks to taking ownership in any situation, regardless of authority or precedent.

Think long term. They understand that their work will provide more impact the longer it lasts in a useful manner and therefore do not optimize only for short term success or to get a promotion. They understand that short term progress is important for long term success and that thinking long term is not an excuse to delay progress or to brainstorm indefinitely.

Provide positive value to humanity. They do not spend their effort on zero sum games or pursuits that do not advance the human race. They understand that a company's revenue and impact in the long term are contingent on this.

Take calculated risks. They use current knowledge to avoid unnecessary risks and mistakes, but they understand that all human endeavor is imperfect and that mistakes help progress. They are exponentially less likely to make the same mistake over time.

Scale their efforts. They accelerate progress by educating and inspiring others, and by using automation technology. They always think of ways to further leverage themselves to maximize their impact, knowing that even one effective person can outperform entire organizations.

Think holistically. They consider the entire customer experience and the success of the entire team when making decisions. They don’t use tunnel vision to optimize only a single metric or build only a single feature. They understand that the real world is an interconnected holistic experience and therefore to succeed in it we must consider all relevant factors.

Have fun. They make their work a fulfilling life experience aside from merely being productive on paper and are not afraid to infuse their personalities or add fun into their work. They help their peers and customers achieve the same.