We spent the spring and early summer months at Metromile refreshing our values to make sure they were aligned with who we are, the work we’re doing, and the future we’re building. The end result? Five updated value statements that express how we operate and treat each other:
- Create fiercely loyal customers.
- Invent the future
- Be intellectually persistent
- Be outcome oriented
- Nurture diversity, inclusion, and belonging
When we put our values in writing and commit to them, we’re saying something about what’s important to us as an organization, but also what’s important to our stakeholders, customers, and employees.
The best way to introduce our values is to let Metromilers speak for themselves. After all, values don’t mean much without the people who believe in them.
Be Intellectually Persistent
“We obsessively ask why,” said Senior Principal User Researcher Brandi Smith. “I really want to understand at a user level, what are the problems that they’re having? Why is that a problem? Why do they ask for a particular solution?”
The desire to understand runs deep at Metromile. Intellectual persistence means not taking things at face value.
“As adults, we don’t always hold onto the curiosity and persistence we had as kids. We assume that it’s ‘just always been like that’ so it must be right,” said Megan Kurin, a Senior Process Manager at Metromile. “We need to ask why and be persistent enough to know the answer inside and out. We need to try better ways and accept that just because something was always done one way doesn’t mean it can’t be done better another way.”
That curiosity helps not just keep products up-to-date and customers happy, it drives Metromile’s internal culture too.
“It’s good to work with such smart engineers, product owners, people across the company they’re very competitive in a way that encourages you,” said Senior Software Engineer Prachi Shah. “They know what’s going on in the industry, there are so many different perspectives. All of that is very creative, it stimulates your mind.”
“Being intellectually persistent means you’re not just checking tasks off of your to-do list, “ said Senior Customer Experience Analyst Paige Gilmore. “You’re thinking about what you’re trying to accomplish longer term, you’re ok with not succeeding 100% every time, and you’re adjusting how you work based on results. Keeping this in mind makes us more likely to accomplish our best work.”
No one at Metromile – or any company for that matter – sits down in front of their computer and thinks: Today, I’m going to be intellectually persistent. But at Metromile, that’s part of our values because it’s part of our culture. It comes from the great minds who work here, their commitment to improvement, innovation, and understanding.
Thanks for sharing your perspective, Metromilers. Look out for more on the other four values.