Common Threads

My first week at MetaLab I cannon-balled straight into the deep end; there was so much to learn! After reading through blog posts and the handbook, and scrolling through twitter feeds to grasp what we’re really all about, I needed a little bit more. So I turned to the best source there is; people.

I sat down with people from various internal teams to ask about their journey, challenges, and best memories. Conversations stretched past the scheduled time, and I got to hear some very unique views of what makes MetaLab so special.

As I took another look at my notes, I realized that I could trace a few common threads across all of the stories that I had gathered.

Yes, You bet, For sure.

There was never a time this week that I did not get an enthusiastic yes to a request for help. I realized it wasn’t just because I was the newbie who needed guidance on the best lunch spots. People truly appreciate how their teams always had each other’s backs. There is always someone around to answer questions, or find that sneaky bug in your code. Even team leads have people they can lean on to learn from.

Always be Questioning

“Everyone here is the type of person who wants to be challenged.”

Everyone echoed this thought in their own way. Whether it was breaking out of their shell to become comfortable talking to clients, learning a brand new technology, or taking on a whole new industry, everyone has stretched their skill set since joining the team.

No A**holes

“The people here are SO nice!”

That was the first thing I said to my Mom when I called her to talk about my week. (Yes, I call my mom, and you should too.) Each person said it’s their team and the collaboration to make outstanding products, balanced with still wanting to hang out in the evening that make this culture to special.

Whether we’ve been here 7 years or 5 days, the people of MetaLab genuinely love this company and love what we do. It’s these common threads that tie us all together.

Shout outs to Elexa, Freya, Georgia, Billy, Quentin, Madeline, James, Amber & Tim for spending time with me getting hounded with questions.