About Ovyl

Clear is kind. We must be able to give and receive clear feedback with grace. Empathetic honesty is the goal, but even blunt honesty is better than keeping something to yourself because it's uncomfortable to say. This could mean admitting when you don't know something; showing someone how they could improve their work; telling a client about a mistake you made; or telling your boss you disagree with a task you've been given. Embrace candor.

It's not enough to have a way of working that works for you. For our team to operate as one entity, we all need to share systems and workflows, even if it means learning a different way of working than you're used to - or if that means you're not moving as fast as you're used to. Work as one.

We never write people off for their opinions, but instead hope to understand them. Everyone must know they are heard and understood before you can solve their problem or productively disagree with them. However, this doesn't mean we have to agree or be pushovers. We can still firmly disagree, but only after patiently seeking to actually understand. Empathize first.

We should always be making time to learn new things or improve our processes, even if it means a given task takes a bit longer while we experiment. If you want to try something new that doesn't provide direct value to a client, then don't track it to the project. The only exception to experimentation is keeping our promises by meeting project deadlines. Always improve.

"Do" is our default. Choosing not to take action should only happen after consideration, not the other way around. Just try your best idea and iterate! Of course, this means you'll make more mistakes, but that's OK as long as they can be recovered from and learned from. If you're really stuck, be proactive - reach out to get a fresh perspective from someone else. Fail small.

Be all-in with whatever you're doing. If you're at work, get in the zone. If you're at home, focus on that and don't read work emails! If someone asks for something over the weekend, it's perfectly acceptable to let them know you'll get to it Monday. Simply put: Work hard and go home. At Ovyl, we strive to set a pace we can maintain for the rest of our careers. Put life first.

We believe that doing the right thing will work out in our favor in the long run even if it hurts a bit right now. Sometimes that pain can show that you're abiding by this rule. If you're unsure what's right in a situation, ask for someone else's opinion. Do the right thing.