Team Family Culture

Jojo Hedaya shares his philosophy on building and maintaining a successful team at Unroll.me, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing people and culture over traditional hiring metrics. His approach focuses on finding passionate individuals who align with the company's values rather than those with perfect credentials.

• Core Team Philosophy:

  • "Fuck resumes" - traditional credentials aren't the priority
  • Look for "diamonds in the rough" rather than conventional candidates
  • Can't compete with Google/Facebook on traditional hiring, so need different approach

• Hiring Strategy:

  • Don't require computer science degrees
  • Value hustle and determination over formal education
  • Look for people willing to work hard and grow
  • Focus on smart people you want to spend time with

• Team Culture:

  • Treat team as family first
  • Organize team activities (like Thanksgiving meals together)
  • Value team happiness over traditional business metrics
  • Build strong personal connections between team members

• Career Growth Philosophy:

  • Allow people to grow within the company
  • Example: Intern Jack went from support tickets to leading product
  • Give chances to people who show potential
  • Create paths for advancement regardless of background

• Leadership Approach:

  • Acknowledge team's contribution to success
  • "They're the ones that built Unroll.me, not me"
  • Guide rather than dictate
  • Prioritize market-rate compensation for team members

• Team Values:

  • Love what you do
  • Love who you work with
  • Create strong bonds between team members
  • Focus on building long-term relationships

This philosophy proved successful when facing acquisition, as they turned down offers that didn't respect their team culture and eventually found a partner (Rakuten Slice) that understood and supported their team-first approach.