It’s been couple of months since I left Thoughtworks a.k.a TW, one of my dream companies (and still is..). A tribute has been due, so let me try that out here.
Joining TW was at a time, when I was going through a very lean phase.. both personally and professionally. Leaving my startup wasn’t an easy decision, especially after spending about 2 years on a wonderful product LeadSimplified, which I would always reckon ‘My first Baby’. Professionally, pretty down for obvious reasons. I hadn’t worked in a recognized organization for last 2 years and in our part of the world the word ‘entrepreneur’ is not really a great tag to have. It only gets you into messy situations with your colleagues (especially your boss), if you know what I mean.
TW, I initially thought was the best place I could have gone at that point of time. The open culture, innovation and creative freedom that they practice would not let me feel out of place. I was right to most extent. There is a fair section of the organization which is extremely innovative and hungry (to do something worthwhile).
Getting to the point, A few quotes:
1. Our people are not talking about it (Rebecca Parsons, CTO, Thoughtworks)
A lesson in management for me. The emphasis on bottom-up management and employee empowerment is certainly applaudable.
Something that I touched upon in my article Decision making and organizations
2. Yeah. Of course. (Ketan Hajirnavis, GM, Chennai. Thoughtworks)
These were the exact terms used by Ketan when I went to him requesting for allowing me to register a startup. Any other company.. any other GM.. I would be out of the company. No questions asked. It was my honesty and confidence in TW that I told them about it. That’s the confidence that TW culture instills in its employees.
Couple of things that I would take with me always..
Of course, there were few things I didn’t appreciate.. but that’s for later.
Its an organization any good programmer/consultant would be proud of.. and I am.
