How We Make Things

How We Make Things

How We Make Things

How We Make Things

Make Things

Values are good (we’d even call them sacred). But values don’t build things. People build things.

Here’s how we put values to work.

We are maker owners

When we ask, “Who should do this work for me?” Our default answer is: “Me.”

We are a team of relentlessly resourceful people. No one at Wealthsimple is the kind of “manager” who doesn’t do hands-on work. When we believe something needs an update, a change, or a fix, we start doing it. And then we #ShipIt

When in doubt, we make it ourselves.

Work smart

What you accomplish is more important than how many hours you work. Unnecessary face-time isn’t valuable, but efficiency, and knowing your priorities are. That’s why maker-time — a company-wide, meeting-free day once a week to give everyone the time to focus on their priorities — is part of the way we work. Schedule it, call it out, protect it.

You are the most important judge of how you spend your time. So if you don’t think a meeting is important, it’s ok to politely decline it. Be kind to yourself—success over the long term requires working smart, so you don’t burn out.

We’re running a marathon,
not a sprint

Have confidence
and humility

The best leaders are confident and humble. They have conviction in their ideas, but are also open minded. They stay humble and hungry because they know we haven’t won yet. Everyone on the team is here for a reason, so it makes sense that everyone’s input is valuable.

So share your opinion with confidence, and make space for others to question that opinion with confidence. Always be ready to admit and learn from mistakes, and try new approaches.

Do Your Homework

Our decisions are driven by data, facts, and rigorous analysis. We do our homework to come up with the right answer because knowing is better than guessing. When we seek input from others, we make the most of our time together by preparing and sending materials in advance so that everyone can show up with an informed perspective for debate.

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