Principles of Grapefruit, Tested and Bug-Free
9 mins read
With the right mix of values and principles, any company can evolve and achieve sustainable growth. Grapefruit is turning 20 this year, after a long period of hard work, great projects, and extraordinary people. To celebrate this achievement, we decided to share with you 20 internal principles that made Grapefruit the digital agency it is today. These are the ones that helped us think big, work with passion and achieve great results.
Step out of your comfort zone
We do agree that our comfort zone keeps us safe from danger, but the magic never happens there, and neither do results. No one will know his true value without stepping out of that comfort zone occasionally.
Perform
Always try to improve and find new ways to solve our customers’ needs. Make sure that what you’re going to do tomorrow will be better than what you did today.
Be a team of A-players
An A-player is a top performer employee, one with a champion mindset. That employee will do whatever it takes to be the best in their domain. We are always looking for these type of people, we all aspire to become the best versions of ourselves.
Always learn from your mistakes
It’s okay to make a mistake once in a while, after all, we are humans. Do not expect people to be perfect but do expect from them to see every mistake as a lesson and, instead of apologizing or panicking, learn from it.
We do not work alone
Our employees work together every day to deliver the best results for every project. Each product launched has a piece of passion and hard work from every employee involved and we are proud of it!
Give more than expected
Always try to deliver more than clients expect. Be aware that your domain isn’t the same as your clients’. Always try to work along with them to provide the best results to match their needs.
Proactive communication is key
Be open to any ideas, issues, problems or questions consistently. Everything we do requires some type of feedback: provided or received, negative or positive. We see constructive criticism as a way to improve ourselves and the quality of our work. If it’s backed-up with an objective approach and rational opinions, then it’s considered valid feedback to be taken into consideration.
Assume responsibility with every “yes” and “promise”
If you say “yes” or if you promise something, you are assuming responsibility. Do whatever it takes to keep your promises to your clients. For example, we do not make a promise if we are not 100% sure it’s the best option. We analyze and think before acting or saying anything.
Do everything with passion and meaning
Do not work for work’s sake. We love what we do, that’s why we are trying to improve every day. Therefore, we’re always trying to be the best in our field.
Treat everybody and you’d like to be treated
Be fair in any circumstance, with each person involved. Don’t make promises that can’t be kept, respect everyone and expect the same from them.
Be simple
State things as clear and as simple as possible. Try your best to avoid technical words and complicated explanations. We want our clients to understand our solution, not to confuse them. If something is not understood, it’s our fault for not explaining it properly.
Build lasting relationships
We believe in long-lasting relationships with our clients. Which is why we select them with care and make sure they are happy with our work.
Work 80/20
To be efficient and cost-effective, this means 20% of our efforts create 80% of our results. Working 80/20 creates value, makes us agile, keeps costs down and profits high. Delivery is more important than perfection, that is what “working smart” means.
“Done” isn’t just a word
For us “done” means it’s ready to use, bug-free and accepted by our client. Even if we have testers, it’s the whole teams’ responsibility to ensure that it’s indeed done. This is how we increase the quality of our work.
Do not take part in pitches or tenders without clear and objective evaluation criteria
We respect our work and knowledge. We sell by having meaningful relationships with potential clients and doing exquisite work.
Money isn’t the only existent motivational factor
We believe that we work with passion and that passion can be rewarded fairly at the end of the year. We re-invest part of the company’s profit in benefits for employees as a token of appreciation for their hard work.
People, not jobs
From our point of view, people didn’t reach their full potential until they have tried everything. We are always open, and we encourage professional reorientation within the company.
Listen
Do not assume needs instantly. Listen carefully to what the client has to say and analyze thoroughly the ups and downs. That’s how we’ll find the best solution that will make clients feel happy and heard.
You're not playing Monopoly
Money, client’s or company’s, isn’t Monopoly money. Use it wisely to increase profitability. We track financials for each project and try to understand what makes it a successful and profitable business on both parts.
Find the simplest solutions to provide value
Focus on results, brought by well-thought processes. We believe that customers’ needs are just as important as the companies’ wants. That’s what helped us create an exquisite user experience.
Now you know the secret to our success and stability. We have been striving to be the best in our field, to be fair and to put all our passion and meaning into our products and services.
