Guava team members...
Communicate directly and openly. They share their thoughts whenever they think it may benefit the company, knowing they will sometimes be wrong, which is totally okay. When others share thoughts, they keep a neutral and curious mind, knowing that open dialogue is critical to decision-making and innovation.
Solve by learning. They are exceptionally curious and learn their way out of any situation where their current knowledge seems limiting. They value learning as one of their most productive behaviors and learn rapidly throughout their entire life.
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 information is not always helpful to overall progress. Decisions they make are usually correct, and when incorrect they are openly admitted and quickly corrected.
Do not accept mediocrity.
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 are self-motivated and 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.
Simplify.
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.
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.