FOUNDERS CODE
We strive to build a community we can all be proud of. Therefore Founders going through our program must hold themselves to the highest standards.
As part of a community that values integrity, humility, diversity and most importantly the act of ‘Give First’ and ‘Pay-it-Forward’ – we recognize we are ambassadors of the brand and of each other. We understand we have a reputation to uphold for ourselves and for our fellow and future Founders.
CODE
As part of the StitchCrew's community, I understand that those who do not abide by this Code of Conduct will be removed from the community and will no longer have access to associated benefits.
Our Code of Conduct is guided by these core values:
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Pay-it-Forward
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Success without Integrity is Failure
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Respect
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Stay Humble
PAY-IT-FORWARD
We exist to help founders – of all backgrounds, regardless of pedigree or development stage. We are intentional about creating a give first and pay-it-forward cycle. We proactively look for opportunities to support one another. We give first to those in our community without expecting anything in return. We make it a priority to help those around us. We are respectful of each other’s time. When we need help, we are clear on our requests and we don’t take advantage of people’s time. No one builds a startup alone; thus why we always demonstrate a sense of gratitude to our customers, mentors, investors, partners and stakeholders.
SUCCESS WITHOUT INTEGRITY IS FAILURE
Transparency in communications is key to building an integral company and honesty is crucial to developing lasting relationships. We strive to be clear, honest and transparent. When we are entrusted with sensitive, confidential or personal information we use appropriate measures to secure it. We respect requests for privacy and confidentiality. We do not intentionally omit important and relevant factual information in an effort to deceive others. We communicate with our investors by sending agreed upon updates and we are always responsive to their inquiries. We keep our promises. If we commit to do something, we do our best to do it. If we can’t keep our promises, we strive to make it right. We do right by our customers. We strive to deliver products that our customers actually want and need. We seek to exceed customer expectations. We don’t burn bridges. If we fail, we do it with dignity. If we go out of business, we will notify our customers and make their data available to them with at least 60 days in advance. We will advise every one of our investors and provide the chance to discuss what went wrong in an honest and transparent conversation. If we know the company is going to fail, we attempt to return as much capital to investors as possible. We disclose known conflicts of interest early. We err on the side of too much disclosure. We do not steal assets or content.
RESPECT
We commit to building inclusive, non-hostile, open, and welcoming workplaces. We want employees, partners, customers and mentors to feel accepted and free to express their opinions, concerns, and needs with an expectation that they will be heard and respected. We don’t tolerate illegal discrimination or harassment in any form. We will quickly fire employees who do this, and train our employees to recognize and address bad behavior. We will ban or fire mentors, investors, employees, contractors and others who discriminate or harass others. We seek diverse perspective and embrace diversity. We commit to building inclusive work environments, which lead to better companies. We build and stand up for others. We appropriately intervene in situations when we witness violations of this Code and report violations. We are reachable and responsive. We will enable standard forms of communication so that anyone doing business with us can have a reasonable expectation of receiving a response in a timely fashion. We participate in both offline and online forums with respect. We participate in respectful discourse in all forums. We do not comment anonymously or with false identities. We respect our legal agreements. We do not attempt to circumvent their intentions. We do not attack others electronically. We don’t maliciously attack others using scripts, robots, or similar techniques. We are not spammers. We do not send bulk unsolicited email nor do we scrape contact lists and abuse them. We don’t harass prospective customers who have clearly said no to us and opted out of communications. We always work for the benefit of our company, not for our own personal benefit. As founders, we do everything we can to ensure the happiness and professional growth of our employees. We avoid gossip. We don’t share disparaging comments and rumors about others. We are constructive in our feedback and always provide it directly to the individual or company to which it pertains.
Distributing, using or being under the influence of illegal drugs (defined by U.S. federal law) is not permitted while participating or engaging in any program or event. While alcohol may be provided at various social events, underage drinking is prohibited and we expect everyone to drink responsibly and in moderation.
STAY HUMBLE
We are focused on results. We dream and think exponentially but we know its all about the execution. We brainstorm but most importantly we make decisions and act on them. We obsess over customers, not competitors. We are one hundred percent committed to our customers and delivering an optimal customer and user experience. We take risk for market leadership. We make employees think like owners. We don’t do Bravado. We know what we don’t know. We ask for help. We understand the difference between facts and opinions. We are open to feedback and advice from anyone: good, bad and indifferent. It doesn’t mean we have to take it. It simply means we understand the value of feedback vs. validation. We strive to do what is best for our customers, employees and long-term view of our company. We encourage and respect independent, innovating thinking. We don’t spend money on unnecessary things that do not benefit our customers. Above all, we are always grateful.
StitchCrew Founders Code of Conduct is a living document established and managed by our community. For suggested changes or if you have witnessed a violation, please contact us