First, to build a software product that supports all the basic operational needs of an early stage subscription business. Software is supposed to improve efficiency, yet we observed early stage companies stitching together dozens of software tools in a way that was anything but. Today we offer internet creators a proven methodology to launch, validate, and scale their SaaS or membership businesses much more efficiently.
Second, to prove that there's a better way to build a business—one that results in people who are more fulfilled in both their personal and professional lives.
Outseta is very much an experiment in organizational design and purpose—we’re out to show what’s possible when you challenge “how business is done.”
That’s what this page is all about—we hope it helps you better understand the company that we aspire to be.
At Outseta, everyone earns equity in the business at the same rate as our co-founding team—and everyone else for that matter. There are no “classes” of stock, no restricted versus unrestricted options, no preferential treatment given to investors—no bullshit.
Want to know how we make financial and functional decisions? Here’s our operating agreement.
We dream big, but prefer controlling our own destiny and working as a small team. We look for opportunities to do more with less and keep our team small and independent by design.
Self management is an organizational design that’s often known for being devoid of hierarchy; no bosses! While that’s true, we’ve embraced self management primarily to empower our team to make decisions autonomously.
We allow people to find the areas of the business that they’re most interested in—and where they’re best able to contribute—then allow them to focus there. You’ll earn influence by consistently demonstrating great work rather than having tasks or decision making authority assigned to you by a title or a boss.
If you want to learn more about self management, we’ve been heavily influenced by Frederic Laloux's Reinventing Organizations. Give it a read!
When we choose to work with someone, we’re welcoming the entirety of that person to our team—not just the parts of them that are convenient.
We all face different challenges. These could be issues of discrimination, identity, mental health, physical health, anxiety, you name it. Maybe you’re a parent that’s going through a tough time, you’re grieving the loss of a loved one, or you’re just someone that doesn’t quite feel at home a lot of places.
Whatever the challenges are that affect your life, that’s a part of you. Your fears and your feelings are welcomed here. We’ll bend over backwards to provide an environment where you feel safe, supported, and comfortable so that you can do your best work.
We care about making the world a more fair, fun, and equitable place for us all—the greater good matters here. And we believe progress will be made more rapidly by actively celebrating our differences, rather than by asking you to check parts of your identity at the door.
We think long term—perhaps the most significant way that this influences our work is we operate largely without budgets, forecasts, and performance targets. These are largely arbitrary measures that often come in conflict with what’s in the best long term interest of the business.
We try to sense and respond to the needs of the business rather than trying to predict and control.
We operate as if this is the last business we’ll ever build—we think it will be—and that's as a strategic advantage that’s very tough to compete against.
Our team is fully remote—always has been, always will be. The benefits and personal freedoms that remote work affords is just too much to pass up. We value flexibility, but we honor our commitments to each other.
Spending time with co-workers is fun and helps build trust—we get that! We plan trips to celebrate company milestones most often in the Greek Islands... but we reserve the right to plan events elsewhere.
The issue of how companies should address political or social issues was thrust into the international spotlight in 2020. It’s an important topic—here’s our take:
We’re a small business and changing the world is a big task. We can’t fight every battle—that would be an impossible agenda— but we can certainly work to leave things better than we found them. We will.
We invest our time and a percentage of our profits into impact initiatives that our team cares about. What these projects are and how they’re supported will change over time based on the interests of our collective team.
We have to show up and work everyday to deliver on the ideas that we’ve shared on this page. Just in saying that we care, we open ourselves up to criticism—and there will almost certainly be times where we fall short or our actions are called into question. We promise in these times to listen to the feedback, acknowledge our mistakes, explain our positions, and always try to lead with empathy.
We believe that how we work matters—it’s a big part of the company that we aspire to be.
