Dear Fronteers,
As far as I can remember, growing up in France I’ve always been stunned by the number of people who seemed to be dispassionate about their jobs. It felt so normal for everybody around me to dread the next Monday, to complain about the long hours and to resent their boss. I understood their feelings: they sounded truly miserable. But I couldn’t get myself to accept the idea. I thought: if I’m going to spend half of my waking hours doing one thing, I certainly hope I’m going to like it! That’s what I wanted for myself, and for the people around me.
That goal led Laurent and I to start working on Front in 2013, with a clear mission: Work Happier. We wanted to make a difference in people’s professional lives, and Front would be the perfect vehicle for that, for two reasons:
As a company, we could improve things locally, internally, by creating a work environment where employees thrive.
As a software provider, we could improve things on a much bigger scale, by creating a product that makes people more productive, more informed, and more engaged at work.
In short, I wanted to build a company where I would personally want to work.
Now, the risk with publicly stating that our goal is for all employees to be happy at work is for some to start thinking they’re entitled to this happiness. I would like to warn you of the dangers of this approach. I am convinced that happiness has less to do with what happens to you, or what’s given to you, and more to do with what you make of it: the odds you overcome, the goals you accomplish, the journey you travel. Your happiness at Front will come from your own contributions.
To guide how we each contribute to the company’s success, we have five core values: collaboration, transparency, care, low ego, high standards. Like “work happier,” some of these values can be ambiguous, which is why this book defines each one and provides examples of how we practice them. Feel free to make your mark on the values. Front’s culture evolves and gets stronger with each addition to the team.
Just remember that Front’s values all go hand in hand. You collaborate best when you are transparent, caring, and approach challenges and opportunities with a low ego. The result is work that is reflective of our high standards.
Thank you for all you do in pursuit of the work happier vision.
Mathilde