Default to Transparency

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Transparency is probably our best-known value and it’s been part of our values since the beginning; it’s part of what makes us unique and it’s foundational to our story.

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Our value of Transparency, known officially as “Default to Transparency,” is about being open and honest about our business, our day-to-day work, and ourselves - with each other, and usually with our customers and community too. We share our successes and failures to help other small businesses, to make our remote team more successful, and as a form of reflection.

We believe that transparency breeds trust, with each other as well as with our customers. Similarly, “sunlight is the best disinfectant.” For example, we believe that having salary transparency is a tangible practice to support equity in compensation, at Buffer and beyond.

What this looks like in practice:

We share our business successes and failures openly with our community. I share my individual successes and failures openly with my teammates.
I communicate and collaborate in transparent channels, or share notes and summaries when that isn’t possible. (See: Transparency in Internal Communication)
I am open with my teammates about my life.
I build in public, and proactively share my work “early and often” to avoid big revelations.
I give feedback directly, openly, and quickly. I don’t let things fester. I trust teammates to handle feedback professionally.

This doesn’t mean:

I cannot maintain personal privacy over the parts of my life that I choose not to share.

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