Envato
“Envato is a bootstrapped Australian company that operates an ecosystem of sites with a global community. We’re passionate about the web, and about enabling creators to make a living doing what they love. At Envato, we make websites that help people from all over the world change the way they earn and learn online.”
Talk to any digital developers about an Australian business that’s killing it, and I have no doubt the first company they name is Envato. There’s a reason for it as well. Envato are one of the most successful Australian startups — Not a bad accolade to have. However, it wasn’t the success of the business that got my attention, but rather the layout of their offices in King Street, Melbourne. What I witnessed was simply stunning.
What’s beautiful about the Envato building is that it floats under the radar. In what was originally a school, Envato doesn’t give anything away to passers by. The earthy design that is infused throughout the office space is only know to those who work within the confines.
The three main areas of Envato are:
>Envato Market — Everything you need for your next creative project.
*Over 4.5 million digital products created by a global community of designers,
developers, photographers, illustrators & producers.
>Envato Studio — A simple, safe and secure way to connect with hand-picked designers and developers to get work done.
>Tuts+ — Learn Creative Skills, Shape Your Future.
*Join over 5 million people using Tuts+ each month to learn skills including code, illustration, photography, web design, and more.
Envato is a digital platform where people are able to earn and learn online. They have a presence in 200 countries — that’s in terms of buyers and sellers. Melbourne is the head office, where there are a total of 160 employees (and growing). Their freelance creators are called ‘authors’ and a total of 45 have sold more than $1 million dollars worth of items on the Envato Marketplaces. Not too bad. As their motto is “When the community succeeds, we succeed” it’s no surprise the company is thriving. Implementing a solid workplace culture is proven to contribute to positive and profitable outcomes. Envato isn’t one of those places where they ‘talk the talk’ but can’t ‘walk the walk’. The whole building has been designed to encourage togetherness. Interaction is seen as a good thing between employees. It’s the reason they have a communal kitchen area — allowing for staff from all teams to come together and hear about what’s going on in each other’s lives.
What stood out for me was the trust in which Envato has for their employees. If you don’t feel like heading into the office, you don’t have to. You can work from home instead. This open entitlement works in Envato’s favour, as many of the employees opt to come in, as they (actually) enjoy the environment that has been created. However, if you do so choose to work from home, Envato have telepresent robots rolling around, so if you dial in, you’re basically in the office anyway.
If you want to see the world, whilst still working, you can. Employees of Envato have the opportunity to work anywhere they want for three months. It’s opportunities like this that attribute to making the company better. All it comes down to is keeping an open mind and having access to learn about the world. Envato know what they’re going to get out of their employees, so it makes sense to give them the freedom to explore different cultures whilst still contributing to the company. More often than not, employees return to work feeling re-energised, and productivity goes through the roof.
Envato is a made-up word — It signifies a living, interconnected eco-system, where one part of the business can’t function without the other. All teams and employees have a major role to play, and they’re integrated into the heart of what Envato stands for. The whole office represents a tree-house. There is wood, earthy materials, open brick and the break out spaces replicate tree-pods. It’s pretty creative for a technology company, where often the norm is cramped cubicles, lack of light and grey walls.
Envato feels it’s exactly what it needs to be to reflect the company values and the people that are apart of it.
Employees aren’t fixed to one desk either. If you want to work on a beanbag you can; If you want to work out in the courtyard you can; If you want to work at a standup desk you can. Wherever you feel you’re going to get the best work done, well then, that’s where you should be working. A principle in which should be implemented to companies all over the world — just my opinion.
According to Venessa Paech, the Global Communications & PR Manager of Envato, the full story of the company hasn’t quite been told yet. With all its success, the average person on the street wouldn’t necessarily know about Envato. Which is where Venessa comes in…To tell the story on a global scale.
As Envato is situated all over the world, there are different ways to tell that story and bring its purpose to life. One of those ways is through content and social media. Which is nothing new. It’s simply the most effective way. Sharing is caring when it comes to conveying a message on a grand scale, and Envato’s huge community make great brand ambassadors.
So what makes Envato unique? According to Venessa there are two things:
- The global view. Envato is a sizeable community that is incredibly diverse, with community members, buyers, sellers and learners from a slew of countries. It employs different people from all over the world and has a universal view on its mission and messages.
- Community. Envato deliver a sense of community on all accounts. From the start they’ve had a stake in the ground making it their number one value. Their job is to facilitate the community, whilst being a member of it.
Envato signifies all that is right within a business. Top level down, everybody feels a part of a digital ecosystem, where a good culture just seems to flow throughout.
“When you can earn more than you could ever imagine by doing something that you love, it makes you proud of what you’ve achieved.”
An Envato Elite Author.
