This document is a resource for all Hootsuite employees. We give this to each new team member who joins us. Hootsuite's Manifesto contains our core principles, some stories of our history and culture, and a special Peepsbook.
2. This document is a resource for all Hootsuite employees.
We give this to each new team member who joins us.
Hootsuite’s Manifesto contains our core principles, some stories
of our history and culture, and a special Peepsbook.
Introduction • Purpose
10. History
• In 2008 Hootsuite was born out of Invoke, a digital marketing
agency that Ryan founded in 2000.
• For the first year, a seven-person team—one-third of Invoke—
grew the
zero-revenue product. (You don’t need to be a CFO
to understand that it was tough to make ends meet.)
• But by 2009, viral growth and investment led us to spin it
out as an independent company.
• By 2011, we entered ‘hyper growth,’ and have since gone
Our Story • History
11. Our Flight Path
20
290
600
4
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
(Just to put things in perspective)
Employees
Growth
Hyper Growth
Our Story • Our Flight Path
12. Our Story
Being in hyper growth is kind of like learning to ride a
bike down a steep, unpaved hill at breakneck speed:
Everything is flashing past you, there are huge
bumps along the way, you HAVE to learn as you go,
and all the while, it’s a pretty thrilling ride.
13. Our Story
So what has kept us
balanced, focused and
steady on the seat?
15. Indeed, like other great companies
before us, we discovered that
culture is the gravity of a successful,
fast-growing company.
It’s the constant, steady force that
binds us together and keeps us
focused and driven.
It’s what makes people want
to come to work every day.
It’s what makes us stronger than
our competitors.
Our Culture
16. This manifesto makes sure we hit the brakes and take a snapshot
of the most important aspects of Hootsuite’s culture today.
“FOR THE PEEPLE*
BY THE PEEPLE.”
This manifesto was created as a bottoms-up document. Employees from
across the organization were asked to provide input on what they feel.
(At Hootsuite, we sometimes like to call each other
peeps when talking about large groups.)
Our Culture
18. #BSU is a term that has remained a steady part of our culture throughout
our hyper growth. This is why it’s a perfect symbol that captures the
culture and essence of our company.
What is #BSU? This is something that many of our new team members
wonder. Some have admitted they even Googled it when they first started.
Our Culture • #BSU
21. Yup, B.S.U. is an acronym for ‘blow shit up’.
In the early days of Hootsuite, the phrase was widely used
by Ryan, as a motivational mantra to get people excited
about what they were working on: “Let’s blow shit up!”
(“Let’s build some internet people!”
was the other phrase he used a lot back
then, but didn’t stick in the same way.)
#BSU #BSU
#BSU #BSU
#BSU #BSU
#BSU #BSU
Our Culture • #BSU
22. Before we knew it, “Let’s blow shit up!” was being used by
all departments across the company—in emails, chats, parties,
even town halls, and by everyone, from the newest intern to
our top VPs and executives.
And eventually, in true fashion of a social media
company, we made into a viral hashtag: #BSU
Our Culture • #BSU
BSU
BSU
BSU
BSU
BSU
BSU
Peeps
BLOW SHIT UP
Hootsuite BSU
BSU
BSU
24. 4 Reasons:
1. #BSU is a pillar of our language and culture.
2. It has lots of energy behind it. Like many of us here.
3. It’s limitless. There are no limits to how much or how
far you can ‘blow shit up.’ And it applies to all of us who
work here. Whether it’s an amazing line of code or a
new product or marketing campaign, we can all take our
own project and blow it up!
4. Finally, ‘blow shit up,’ is inherently disruptive in nature,
just like we are.
Our Culture • #BSU
25. Our Culture • #BSU
#BSU is a pillar of our
language culture
26. The #BSU spirit is something we all embody internally,
so it’s also reflected in our company vision:
“To revolutionize
communication
via social”
(we are revolutionaries!)
Our Culture • #BSU
28. In the course of researching this document,
we asked dozens of people why they love to come to work.
There were some very common themes that arose:
Why We Love To Come To Work
29. 1.
At Hootsuite, you get to work with really interesting, smart,
open-minded people. They’re good at what they do because
they’re passionate about it.
High Caliber
Teammates
Why We Love To Come To Work
30. “When I first came in, I was
vibrating with excitement.
There was just a certain vibe and
you could tell everyone wants to
be here, and they’re good at what
they do and care about their jobs.”
Erin Fitzpatrick
Administration Ambassador
Why We Love To Come To Work
31. 2.
You are on a steep
learning curve.
Coming to work is an opportunity to gain invaluable knowledge.
By working at Hootsuite you are getting years of career
experience at an accelerated rate simply by being part of this
unique growth.
Why We Love To Come To Work
32. “I am certain the rest of my life will be better because
I worked here. Now I’m a part of a community of people
who can think outside the box and will probably create
the next big thing—and that’s really cool.”
Scott Walker
Corporate Account Executive
Why We Love To Come To Work
33. 3.
Having an impact
Here we have an opportunity to play a huge role in the forming
of an entire industry, an entirely new communication channel—
no different than the TV or radio or email at their emergence.
These things shook the world and now social is doing that.
You can really make a difference. Whatever you are working on,
you can see millions of people using it—or see how it has a direct
connection to revenue. That’s incredibly rewarding.
Why We Love To Come To Work
34. “At Hootsuite there are so
many opportunities right now
where I know I can have an
impact and make the product
better. That’s why I’m here.”
Helen Park
Mobile UX/UI Designer
Why We Love To Come To Work
35. 4.
Opportunity for growth
It’s a time of great movement and opportunity—the company’s
hyper growth is creating whole new pockets and paths to
delve into… without stepping on anyone’s toes.
Why We Love To Come To Work
36. “One of the biggest things here is if
you’re eager for an opportunity to
wear different hats, there aren’t a lot
of barriers to take on new challenges
beyond your designated role.”
Korey Gannon
Talent Advisor
Why We Love To Come To Work
37. 5.
A Holistic Life
Our quality of life is supported at work. There are things at the
office like yoga, fresh juice, organic fruit, dogs, a gym and a nap
room—not because it’s a gimmick or because everyone is doing it,
but because we are already people who pursue a healthy lifestyle
and work-life balance.
Why We Love To Come To Work
39. Freedom
At Hootsuite there is a culture of trust. We are given autonomy
to get our work done. No one is monitoring when I take
my lunch or punch in...or out. And that’s what frees us to go
beyond expectations.
6.
Why We Love To Come To Work
40. “I’m living a dream as the
founder and CEO of Hootsuite.
Our product touches billions
of people and I’m surrounded
by an amazing team who loves
innovation as much as I do.”
Ryan Holmes
Founder CEO
Why We Love To Come To Work
41. THEPEEPSBOOK|WRITTENBYTHEPEEPS
The
Peepsbook
As a Hootsuite employee, we
want you to have this Peepsbook
to guide you in your journey.
What is the Peepsbook? It’s a
passionate, united expression of
What We Do, How We Do It, and
most importantly—How We #BSU.
42. Chapter 1
WHO WE ARE
Chapter 2
WHAT WE DO
Chapter 3
HOW WE DO IT
43. We Are Pioneers
We’re proud to be at the forefront
of the social revolution, a one-of-
its-kind company with top talent
in the city. country. globe.
In this way, we are pioneers.
This all contributes to our shared
sense of purpose.
“We never set out to
build a product that was
going to help a protester
in Egypt have a voice;
it was really about
making a good product
to help people…it still is.”
Paul Donnelly
Principal UX Designer
(and one of Hootsuite’s
first 4 employees)
Chapter 1 • Who We Are
44. Hootsuite is a special and highly
unique experience that we all feel
lucky to be a part of. It feels great
to be a part of an unprecedented
success on such a huge trajectory.
We all have this sense we are in
the midst of having a once-in-a-life-
time opportunity. When will we ever
experience this again in our lives?
“Being at Hootsuite in
the beginning was akin
to walking into Vivienne
Westwood’s SEX shop
and witnessing the Sex
Pistols learn how to play
their first 3 chords.”
Chris Trottier
Strategist, Alternative Growth Channels
(and early Hootsuite employee,
on witnessing firsthand the beginning
of communication revolution)
Chapter 1 • Who We Are
45. Who Thrives
at Hootsuite?
People who like to experiment
and always try new things.
People who are self-directed
and self-motivated.
People who never rest until
the job is done.
People who thrive
at Hootsuite
are passionate,
driven, hustlers;
entrepreneurial
by nature.
Chapter 1 • Who We Are
People who like to experiment
People who never rest until
46. We celebrate our
diversity and pride
ourselves on it
• We refuse to be cogs in the wheel.
• We are agile and don’t waste
time in countless meetings.
• We are egoless, resourceful,
and driven by purpose.
• We are people who see possibilities
over limitations.
“We’re hustlers—in that
we hustle by nature.
We ‘just do it.’ Our focus
is on getting it done.
Because if you can’t
ship it, it’s irrelevant.”
Beier Cai
Director of Technology
(and one of Hootsuite’s
first 4 employees)
Chapter 1 • Who We Are
47. Chapter 1 • Who We Are
We are our own vibrant
community of artists, builders,
dreamers, and everything else.
We are our own vibrantWe are our own vibrant
community of artists, builders,
dreamers, and everything else.
48. Chapter 1
WHO WE ARE
Chapter 2
WHAT WE DO
Chapter 3
HOW WE DO IT
49. What We Do
Hootsuite was perfectly positioned
to ride the social wave. We built
a product that filled the void faster
and better than anyone else.
We’ve been ahead of the game
from the start, learning, reiterating,
improving on social media tech-
nologies. It’s a great place to be.
Being in this advantageous position,
we’ve become an advocate for
businesses who want to evolve.
We give customers a
voice they didn’t have
before social media.
We can help empower
businesses and people
to turn messages into
meaningful relationships.
(To top it off, we get to work with
cool customers who similarly ‘get’
the potential of new tools like social
and have open minds.)
Chapter 2 • What We Do
50. Chapter 1 • Who We Are
We are part of a revolutionary
change in communication.
We have the potential to change
the way people around the world
interact on a large scale.
51. Purposeful Work
We live and breathe social media.
We ‘grew’ up on it, and it’s in our
DNA. We know social media inside
and out, and we want to share our
experiences with others.
At Hootsuite, we are building some-
thing with a purpose: It’s a product,
a solution, a community, an industry.
“In this space we’re the most
legit tech company. We’re like
the Google of social media.
It’s a culture thing, it’s a
product thing, it’s a people
thing. We have a strong
engineering culture, a real
respect for the product and
we’re not just in it to make
some cash and get out.”
Mo Zahid
Lead Analyst,
Online Revenue
Chapter 2 • What We Do
52. We Give Back
Because we are leaders in the
space, many of us have found
ourselves quickly becoming
mentors to our teammates and
the greater community.
So we connect with our local
community and support others
and share our knowledge—it’s very
important for us to give back and
share our experiences.
Chapter 2 • What We Do
53. Chapter 1
WHO WE ARE
Chapter 2
WHAT WE DO
Chapter 3
HOW WE DO ITHOW WE DO ITHOW WE DO IT
54. Even though we have a competitive
advantage, we don’t ever sit back
and get complacent. Our blades are
always sharpened—We’re always
ready to take down the competition.
We think long term, because we’re
building a 50-year company, not
a 5-year one. We approach it like we
are running a marathon, not a sprint.
“You can become really
arrogant when you have
some success. But when
you are on top you
have way more to lose.
We don’t think here,
‘We made it—let’s just
rest on our laurels.’
At Hootsuite we keep
challenging ourselves
to the next level.”
Chapter 3 • How We #BSU
Andrea Lemon
Corporate Account
Executive
55. Work out loud
We strive to constantly give each other
visibility into the bigger picture.
Keep open doors
We have an open door policy for everyone,
no matter what position. Our offices there-
fore have no walls or barriers (physically or
metaphorically).
Set visible, big picture goals
Knowing what others are doing and seeing
big picture goals helps us better support
each other and share a greater sense
of purpose.
HOW WE
#BSU
56. Chapter 1 • What We Do
We foster collaboration
without barriers.
57. “Human beings have an innate inner drive to be
autonomous, self-determined, and connected
to one another. And when that drive is liberated,
people achieve more and live richer lives.”
– Daniel Pink, Psychologist
WE LIKE
DANIEL:
Chapter 3 • How We #BSU
58. We have an agile and
uniquely innovative
work environment
Working at Hootsuite, you get to
be a pioneer, shape trends, be a
part of the newest and emerging
technologies. Everything is exciting
because we’re on the cutting edge
of our industry.
There is always a new challenge
and the learning doesn’t stop.
“Most other tech companies
have a longer release cycle.
At Hootsuite, factors like
bureaucracy or infrastructure
don’t get in the way so we’re
releasing at a rate of 10 times
a day.Your code is basically
going straight to production.
That’s why we really need to
trust each other.”
Bill Monkman
Lead Software Engineer
Chapter 3 • How We #BSU
59. Chapter 1 • Who We Are
Finally, we embrace change
at work, not fear it.
With change comes growth.
Finally, we embrace change
at work, not fear it.
Finally, we embrace change
at work, not fear it.
Finally, we embrace change
at work, not fear it.
With change comes growth.
60. In this way, over time, we have built
a culture of inclusion, community,
and support—you can try to
manufacture that but you can’t.
“People here step in
without hesitation.
They’re proactive helpers.
The startup culture has
fostered this. And there’s
a very tight team feeling
that you don’t necessarily
find elsewhere.”
Jaime Stein
Senior Manager,
Social Media
Chapter 3 • How We #BSU
61. In the same way we don’t fear
change, we don’t ever fear failure.
At Hootsuite, when we have a good
idea, our best leaders say,
“Try it. And let’s just see
what happens. If it doesn’t
work, we’ll learn from it.”
You get visionary leadership here
who (for the most part) let us take
risks, and make our own decisions,
as long as we learn from our mistakes.
Chapter 3 • How We #BSU
62. In fact, this is how Hootsuite came
to be. So this remains still a core
principle throughout:
“Always believe in the
projects that make you
excited and drive you
to do ‘crazy’ things.
You might not end up at
the exact destination
you set out to reach, but
it will eventually lead
somewhere better than
if you never tried.”
– Ryan Holmes, Founder CEO
Chapter 3 • How We #BSU
63. “Here there’s an overall
sense of curiosity and
inquisitiveness. It seems
everyone is always
chipping away at some-
thing everyone is trying
to push something
somewhere. It’s a culture
of optimism.”
Josh Lamb
Software Engineer
(formerly Junior Accountant)