Mission, Vision, Values
These aren't fluff. They're not pie-in-the-sky things we put on a wall and forget about. Every decision at LeanScale — should we create this service line, build this product, hire this person — goes back to the mission, vision, and values.
Mission is why LeanScale exists. Vision is the world we can create if we execute the mission at an elite level. Values is the type of people we need along the way.
Mission
To equip startups with a world-class GTM operating system to reach their next stage of growth.
A GTM operating system is everything under GTM Ops — process, systems, tools, AI, new technology, old technology. Whatever is needed for that company to get to their next stage of growth.
The mission isn't to just do what the customer tells us. It's not to do the best Salesforce or HubSpot implementations. We don't know what the technology will be, and we don't know what we'll need to learn — especially now, where the rate of change is unbelievably high.
What does a go-to-market operating system need to look like? What tools, technologies, processes, and best practices — aligned with the current investment and macroeconomic environment — enable that company to grow? That's the question the mission is built around.
Vision
No startup left behind. A world where a high-performing GTM operating system is table stakes, not a competitive advantage.
A company that's done this well on the legal side is Cooley. Years ago, having access to the right lawyers, drafting agreements, putting together an ESOP plan — that wasn't accessible. People either didn't know where to go or couldn't afford the legal infrastructure a startup needs to scale.
Now, that's table stakes. Carta has done the same for making ESOPs accessible. These things no longer give companies a competitive advantage — they're just things you expect to have.
Go-to-market operations should be the same way. GTM Ops is more like accounting and FP&A — there are best practices, best tools, best approaches. These shouldn't be competitive advantages. Every company with the best product that creates the most value should be able to win.
Values — Remember HITCH
Startups are hitching their wagon to LeanScale. People are hitching their careers to the mission and vision. The values spell out HITCH — and they guide who belongs on this team.
H — Humility
It's not thinking less of yourself — it's thinking of yourself less. Recognizing that you can learn something from anyone on the team.
LeanScale doesn't happen unless it's a team. Nobody here can run an entire engagement all on their own at LeanScale quality. It requires a team to deliver on our promises and keep up with the market. No room for showboating or arrogance — just confident people who also see the best in others.
I — Integrity
This is the value that comes up the most. Should we price something a certain way? What were the hours on an engagement? There are opportunities every single day to not hold the highest level of integrity. That's not acceptable here.
Everything at LeanScale is built on trust — trust with your team, trust with customers. If you ever feel like something isn't meeting that standard, the answer is no, we're not doing it. Go to your manager, a teammate, or directly to Anthony — if integrity is in question, it gets fixed immediately.
T — Take Action
Creating ideas and turning them into reality. Actively improving things around you. LeanScale sits at the intersection of consulting and startups backed by aggressive venture capitalists. The world changes every day, and the only way to keep up is to take action.
You should have been assigned Rhinoceros Success — the rhino is our mascot for a reason. We need a bias toward action. We miss more opportunities by not acting than by acting and making the wrong decision.
C — Challenge Yourself and Others
If you're at LeanScale, you're serious about taking your career and skillset to the next level. Everything we're doing is to evolve and improve. We need a culture where you can push yourself in a safe environment, encourage others to do the same, and offer up your unique ways of leveling people up.
H — Have Fun
Saved the best for last. Enjoy the journey. Work with people who empower you. Celebrate the wins, brush off the losses, and make your positivity contagious.
The work is hard, but we enjoy time with the team and with our customers. We build relationships that wouldn't exist without this work. Offsites, in-person meetups — 80% of the reason we do them is to have fun and remember that life isn't that serious.
If you're ever questioning a decision — should I do this, should we bring this person on the team, does this person still belong — always go back to the values. They guide every decision we make at LeanScale.
Comment in Slack
Post your answer in your onboarding channel.
You just learned the five LeanScale values — Humility, Integrity, Take Action, Challenge Yourself and Others, and Have Fun. Which one resonates with you the most, and why?