Let me start this with a personal story: A couple of years ago, as I walked into a shop, I stumbled upon a group of employees having a hearty laugh 😅😂. The room was filled with joy, until they noticed me. Suddenly everything got serious 😐😐and one of them muttered “Sorry!”
That moment got me thinking: Since when did laughing become something to apologize for? The more I thought about it, the more I realized that restrictions on laughter have been everywhere in my life:
- At Work: “He’s always laughing, clearly he has nothing to do.”
- At School: “Tiago, why are you laughing? Pay attention to the class!”
- At the Club: “Bro, are you laughing at my girl?”
- As a Kid: “That boy is laughing too much… he’s up to no good.”
Fast forward to today, and life, in its mysterious ways, has led me to Vase.ai, a company where laughing isn’t just welcomed, it’s a daily must. While our list of core values is long (you can check them out here), the essence of our culture boils down to two key behaviors:
- Have Fun
- Be Demanding
So, what does that actually look like in practice?
On the Fun Side:
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Don’t take yourself too seriously. Make fun of yourself and let others join in on the joke. Everyone’s fair game for roasting here.
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Find humor even in tough moments. Mistakes, challenging projects, or stressful days? Laughter helps us get through them together.
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Check your ego at the door. Big egos aren’t fun, and they definitely don’t belong at Vase.ai. We’re in Malaysia; it’s hot, and there’s no room for snowflakes.
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Work on exciting projects. Collaborate with creative minds, embrace chaotic brainstorming sessions, and turn wild ideas into reality.
On the Demanding Side:
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Be excellent at what you do. You don’t have to wake up and “piss excellence,” but being really good and fascinated by your work is a must.
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Give and receive feedback constantly. Don’t shy away from getting called out in front of everyone. Feedback (or feedforward) is how we grow—1% better every day.
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Share the load. “Not in my scope” isn’t part of our vocabulary. Everyone has a holistic understanding of the company, and we help each other out.
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Your word is your bond. Follow through on commitments, be transparent if something’s off-track, own up, and work toward a solution.
How This Balances Out
This approach lets us move fast and break things. Our communication style is sashimi-like raw, unfiltered, and straight to the point. We replace "work" with "play," staying motivated while helping clients and partners achieve some really cool insights. And through it all, we know the difference between having fun and getting down to business, and we switch gears seamlessly whenever needed.
Hopefully, you’ll see this culture reflected everywhere: in our talent acquisition process, onboarding experience, daily meetings (formal and informal), website, app, products, communication, and beyond.
Adapting and Thriving in Remote Work
At Vase.ai, we've embraced remote work, overcoming challenges with technology, communication, and creativity. Our team members have shown that remote work can be productive, sustainable, and even enjoyable with the right approach. Ready to thrive with us?
