There are a few beliefs I've followed as I've built Buffer. One of them is that as I attain personal freedoms through the success of Buffer, I aim to extend those same freedoms to the team.

Very early on, this was in the form of location independence. I wanted to travel the world and have new experiences as I built Buffer. I could have given myself this benefit without extending it to others, but that didn't feel right to me. So we became a fully remote company, all the way back in 2013.

We've also always run Buffer with complete transparency for the team on how the company is doing, down to how much cash we have in the bank and our burn rate. I believe that if the team has all the information, we are always going to better equipped to weather challenges and take advantage of opportunities.

Throughout the journey, I've also always encouraged and celebrated the team having side projects. The way I see it, a team with side projects is a win-win. Side projects can be a great vehicle for personal growth and experiences which can benefit Buffer too. Besides, Buffer started as a side project for me and I always have little projects I'm tinkering on, so it would feel at odds to disallow side projects.

In more recent years, we've operated Buffer with a 4-day workweek. I'm proud to say that in the 5 years we've been working four days a week, we've seen Buffer through a turnaround from decline and back to growth, profitability and new all-time-high ARR working this schedule together as a team. I don't see the shorter workweek as a benefit and a way to work less on Buffer. Instead, I see 4-day workweeks as the way we can all work optimally on Buffer, as time away and true renewal enable us make impactful, regular and sustained contributions.

I believe that when you extend the same freedoms to your team that you sought for yourself, something powerful happens: you build deep trust and unlock extraordinary commitment. This approach has created our strongest culture and most sustainable results.