Lesara Culture Code

1. The fastest growing tech startup
in Europe on a mission to
revolutionize fast fashion by
pioneering in agile retail: a
smarter, faster & more modern
form.
2. Synonyms: the best company to
work for, a pioneer in fashion
tech.
Lesara
[ley-zar-aa]
Noun

It all started in 2013.
#Flashback to our first logo & packaging!

Our team was a bit smaller
than it is today, but we had
the same Lesara passion.
Our first Lesara team picture… we can be
cheesy at times 

We’ve grown a lot since 2013, not only expanding our German headquarters,
but also adding offices in China.

...In fact ‘The Next Web’ named us Europe’s fastest growing tech startup.

But we aren’t nearly done
yet.

Many people have
asked us just how we
have accomplished so
much so quickly.

We are:
• >250 people
• From >32 different nations
• 50% male, 50% female
• On average 27.3 years old

So what really makes us, “us”?

We are a group of people who
value insatiable curiosity,
kindness and never forgetting
to have fun along the way.

We look for a set of niche skills and
personality traits when we’re hiring and
if you’re among the 1% who are
accepted, we assure you that you’re
here to stay and excel.

The Lesara Culture Code
1. Bold in content, modest in style.
2. No to limits, yes to opportunities.
3. Open, clear & direct communication.
4. Grow. Together.
5. The best decisions are built on the best logic.
6. Customers are the why and the because.
7. Wake up excited every day.

Let’s dig a little deeper...

Bold in content,
modest in style.

We seek humble innovators
and leave no space for ego
battles

We have a lot to do:
• Ship to 24 countries
• Manage over 80,000 SKUs
• Maintain an annual headcount growth of approx. 78%
• Develop content, write texts and translate in 7 languages
• Monitor and ensure consistent high performance on our
website, mobile app & 5 internal platforms

This means we
REALLY don’t have
time for company
politics.

Therefore we encourage confidence & creativity
in brainstorming, execution and optimization.
We want to blow our customers’ minds with our
amazing skills & service.

At Lesara, boldness is
to not only care about
WHAT we deliver but
also HOW we deliver it.

“Fuck it.
We do it live.”
Robin
Müller*
Lesara CTO & Co-
founder
*Yes, we know that this is Bill O’Reily’s quote, but Robin loves it &
relates to it so much, that it might as well have been his 

If we waited until...
• everything was perfect
• we were 100% sure it would be a success
• everyone agreed it was ready
...then we would still be working on our
very first website design.

Boldness is having the courage to
get things done quickly because
speed is as important as
quality.

No to limits.
Yes to opportunities.

We challenge the limits and
achieve the impossible.

“Whether you think you can, or
you think you can't - you're right.”
Henry
Ford

We live in a world where
people redefine what’s possible
Every. Single. Day.

In order to even stay
relevant, we need to be
learning continuously.

A few seemingly impossible targets
we’ve already achieved:
• built a supply chain that makes it possible for products to go
live on the website in just 10 days from the day we get an
idea for a product
• created a new TV Commercial in only 4 days
• become the fastest growing tech company in Europe
(7850% growth)
• strengthened the team from 5 to 250 people in 3 years

And we are just
getting started!

While our company is young,
our team is strong &
motivated and we love to
challenge the ‘impossible’.

“The whole market is
the biggest market.”
Sander
van Bladel
Director of Sourcing

WE WILL MAKE IT
HAPPEN.
Our team in Guangzhou is famous for the phrase “Noted.” which is
now accepted worldwide as confirmation for

Roman’s response
to big ideas?

“Dream big,
do big, win big”
Roman
Kirsch
Lesara CEO & Founder

How we communicate
plays a crucial role in what
makes us so productive...

Open, clear & direct
communication.

We believe in sharing knowledge
with our team in a manner which is
transparent, easy to understand,
and efficient.

“Knowledge increases by
sharing but not by saving.”
Kamari
aka Lyrikal

Since the beginning of time, we have
evolved in order to survive.

Which means we need to
learn from each other and the
past in order to move
forward most efficiently.

“We look for people who not only
communicate well, but without hesitation &
proactively. Exchanging ideas and opinions
is crucial to moving forward together.”
Julie
Görgen
Head of People & Culture

Weekly Team Meetings– team-wide meetings where everyone shares what they are
working on and discusses other developments/goals within their team
Monthly All-Hands Meeting – the entire company gets together to welcome new team
members and share recent overall developments and upcoming initiatives
100 Day Plans – quarterly project plans from every team that are shared company-wide
so everyone can see the progress of each goal
Learning & Development Program – starts day one with an onboarding into every
department and continues with various trainings throughout everyone’s career at Lesara
Knowledge Sharing Sessions – Whether within one team, company-wide, or with an
external expert in the field, we host bi-weekly lunch sessions where someone presents
on a specific topic so everyone interested can get a deeper insight into a variety of topics
Quarterly 360° Feedback – every quarter each employee has an official feedback
meeting where they can give and receive feedback with their team lead
…just to name a few examples :)

Power is gained by sharing
knowledge, not hoarding it.

At Lesara, personal development is of great
importance.
We take pride in our fast-paced growth and
create an atmosphere conducive to
constant learning and knowledge sharing.

CFO: “What happens if we
invest in our people and then
they leave the company?”
CEO: “What happens if we don't,
and they stay?”
Every other
LinkedIn
post

We are a team of ambitious individuals focused on
personal improvement and driven by purpose.
In order to safeguard talent, we support continued
growth down to the individual level.

“Lesara is the perfect place to
grow, to learn and to get
challenged. You are given great
responsibility and a chance to
really shape something.”
Lena
Wessling
Director Marketing

The best decisions
Are built on the
best logic.

At Lesara, we empower
everyone to make decisions
based on sound logic & robust
data.

“In 10 years the most
successful fashion retailers
will be great tech companies
that happen to sell fashion.”
Roman Kirsch
in Forbes
Lesara CEO & Founder

Agile retail companies use
big data analytics to identify
consumer trends, utilize
highly efficient production
and distribution systems, and
sell exclusively online.
The result?
• Products that people really want
• At prices they can afford
• Accessible whenever and from
wherever through mobile and
desktop

Incorporating data is not
just about our business
model, but the core of our
daily functioning.

“First analyze the right
data right, then do the
right thing right.”
Matthias
Wilrich
Lesara COO & Co-
Founder

When you walk into our office you see monitors like this.
Everywhere.

We broadcast all of our company KPIs, so our:
• GROWTH is tangible
• PERFORMANCE is measured
• DIRECTION is clear
This self-imposed transparency keeps us on our toes and makes us accountable.
Spotting new potential, and seeing the fruits of our labor in the data, motivates us
every day.

Whether we talk to each other, make
cases for a certain app improvement,
or even when we recruit for a position,
we always look at data to make the
final decision.

… because no one wants to be this angry hippo.

Yes, your gut feeling is pretty
trustworthy, but you’d be
surprised at some of the things
we wouldn’t be aware of without
our data…

That this item would
sell over 250,000
times.
That > 10,000,000
people would visit our
platforms every month.
That we would be able
to offer 80,000 SKUs
before our 3rd birthday.

But it is very important to note that we are
data-informed, NOT strictly data-driven.
Because at the end of the day, there are
people behind the numbers who matter
deeply to us, which is why our next value is
so important...

Customers are the
why and the because.

Happy customers are loyal promoters
of our brand, help us grow by
referring friends and provide great
ideas that help us improve.

This is NOT
how we handle
it here...

“If your job is customer
satisfaction, your real job
title is problem solver.”
Brian
Tracy
Self-development author

Outstanding service is how we roll.
Every customer receives:
Super fast
response
Exceptional
friendliness
Clear, satisfactory
solutions

At Lesara
customer service is an attitude,
not just a department.

Every team contributes
to create the ultimate customer
experience...

IT
Creates the best shopping experience on both our website
and apps in 24 countries
Marketing
Shows the customer relevant products and
communicates new trends, deals, etc. to the customer
People & Culture
Hires the people to support the customers!
Business Development
Tackles special topics/ expansion so Lesara’s
customers can have the optimal experience in as many
countries as possible
Customer Care
Handles issues individual by individual
Supply Chain Management
Makes sure all customers get their products asap
Category Management
Replenishes sold out items so our customers can
continue to purchase their favourites
Merchandise
Finds our customers new favourite items
Photo Studio
Takes great pictures make online shopping better than
offline
Sourcing
Finds the best manufacturers for us to work with in
terms of quality and priceQuality Control & Management
Ensures quality at par with our customers expectations

Lizzy
Xu
Senior Sourcing Manager -
Guangzhou Office
“Ensuring a happy customer starts at the
source. This is exactly why we built our team in
Guangzhou; so we can personally ensure only
the best for our customers from the very start.”

But don’t just trust what we say, check
out our ratings online
> 1.6 million fans
Excellent
4.46/5.00

And it’s not just our customer’s
happiness we are passionate about...

We believe life is way too short to not be
happy personally and professionally.
Therefore, we do our best to spread
happiness at the workplace!

Happy Employees:
• STAY: reduced brain drain
• PERFORM: resilience against stress
• INNOVATE: safe zone for crazy ideas
• RADIATE: happiness spreads to customers and suppliers

So how do we create an
enjoyable atmosphere?

Healthy workplace
Standing workstations, healthy snacks, plenty of drinks, sports classes
& more.
Trust & Autonomy
Everyone is given a great deal of responsibility from the start, no micro-
management and the freedom to make your own decisions.
No door policy
We prefer windows, open air and everyone knowing that they are always
welcome. (Bathrooms are an exception).
Celebrate the little & big things
Legendary team events, frequent happy hours & our founders are even
known for giving out ice cream to celebrate hot summer days.

“What happens at the team events,
stays at the team events.”
Jonas
Michalak
Co-Head of
Category Management

Like what you saw? Have ideas, comments, concerns?
We’d love to hear from you! Email us: hr@lesara.com
Interested in joining our team? We are hiring!
Check out our openings at: www.lesara.com/career and email your
application to jobs@lesara.com

Visit our websites
• Germany: https://www.lesara.de/
• Austria: https://www.lesara.at/
• Switzerland: https://www.lesara.ch/
• France: https://www.lesara.fr/
• Belgium: https://www.lesara.be/
• United Kingdom: https://www.lesara.co.uk/
• Netherlands: https://www.lesara.nl/
• Italy: https://www.lesara.it/
• Spain: https://www.lesara.es/
• Denmark: https://www.lesara.dk/
• Sweden: https://www.lesara.se/
• International website:
https://www.lesara.com/

Lesara Culture Code

More Related Content

Lesara Culture Code