Brand Voice

Voice pillars

Grounded Visionary

We lead with ideas about the future of work. When philosophy is appropriate to the context, we don't shy away from it, but we commit to making it accessible and clear. We can describe the forces reshaping work without retreating into abstraction.

• The Vibe: A lead engineer explaining a better way to bridge a canyon, and why the canyon matters.
• Do: Use active verbs: Build, fix, run, show up, work. When the context calls for bigger ideas, make them concrete and plainspoken.
• Don't: Use empty abstractions like "the fabric of work" or "synergy." The test isn't whether an idea is big; it's whether it's clear.

Radiantly Human

Our humanity isn't just a brand differentiator; it's becoming the most defensible thing about us. As machines get better at sounding warm, being warm is the only position that holds. We are warm and kind, but never "cute" or "whimsical."

• The Vibe: A thoughtful person speaking honestly to another thoughtful person.
• Do: Use "we" and "you." Acknowledge the daily reality of the job: the coffee, the chat pings, the flat sparkling water.
• Don't: Use corporate "third-person" distance or cold, clinical terminology.

Deadpan Wit

We find humor in the recognition of truth. We treat the absurdities of the modern office with documentary-level seriousness. The documentary seriousness is itself a signal: we observe and name what's true rather than generating and performing. The humor comes from recognition, which is the one thing that can't be manufactured.

• The Vibe: A shared look between two people who realize the meeting they are in is pointless.
• Do: Use understatement and sharp observation.
• Don't: Use puns, emojis, or "jokey" copy. The humor comes from the situation, not the delivery.

The strategic tensions (the litmus test)

To keep the voice balanced, use these three rules of thumb:

1. Be direct about the problem, human about the partnership.

• No: "We think goal drift might be an issue for your team."
• Yes: "Goals disappear. It's not because you stopped caring; it's because the software failed you. We're here to fix that."

2. Treat the absurd with dignity.

• No: "LOL, look at this lonely goal in a spreadsheet!"
• Yes: "Row 47 has not been updated since January 12th. It is now March. The goal is still there, waiting."

3. Be rigorous, not academic.

• No: "Our platform facilitates cross-functional alignment."
• Yes: "We put your goals in the room where the work actually happens."

Verbal palette: "this, not that"