The idea of 9fin started on a handshake on Valentine's Day 2014. Admittedly, it took two years before we actually had the courage (and the capital) to quit our jobs and start building, but the idea was clear.
We also had clarity on the kind of company we wanted to build and the kind of people we wanted to build it with.
Both of us worked in finance, which taught us a lot of useful things: how to get things done, how to work hard, how to operate under pressure. On culture, it largely fell short.
So, we agreed on building something different. We wrote down eleven values, each a raw outpouring against something specific that was wrong in our jobs. Things like “family and health comes first”, “don't know? say so”, “talent trumps experience”. Every single one had a story behind it.
Finding new ways to articulate our values
The sentiment and intention behind each of those eleven is still there. But over the years, we’ve found better ways to say it, and a lot of better examples!
The old values weren’t perfect. For starters, there were eleven of them, which was always too many to remember. Some of them also started getting misinterpreted, for example, ‘Overcommunicate" started being read as: everything needs to travel up five layers of management before being decided. "Talent trumps experience" – written in direct reaction to the rigid set time periods between promotions in finance – started being misunderstood as we didn't value experience at all, which isn't true either.
When values start transmitting the wrong message, that's on the founders to fix, and that's what we're doing here.
9fin’s new values: an evolution, not revolution
We ran sessions with 9finners from across the company, and landed on six values, each of which map back to the original eleven in some way.
These are the six:
Ownership
We don’t just do the work, we own it – taking responsibility for outcomes, not just tasks. If something needs fixing, we step in early and make sure it gets sorted.
Move fast, learn things
We get things done, test ideas quickly and learn as we go. Good beats perfect when you can keep improving and build on what you’ve learned.
Candour
We say what we think openly, directly and respectfully. It’s how we challenge ideas, improve the work and make better decisions together as 9finners.
Play to win
Ambition is part of our DNA. We aim high, take smart risks and expect a lot from ourselves. We care about doing work we’re proud of and pushing things forward.
Data led
We use evidence to guide decisions and change course when the data says we should. Opinions matter, but they need to be backed up and tested against what’s really happening.
Integrity
Doing the right thing isn't always easy, but we do it anyway. We act with honesty, treat each other with respect, and remember that no customer or job matters more than family and health.
A few things we want to be honest about
This is an ambitious company, and so it’s meant to be uncomfortable. We set stretchy targets, grow fast and ask a lot of the people who work here, whilst holding ourselves to the same standard we hold everyone else to. When we say we play to win, we mean it – we want to be number one in our space, as quickly as possible. The pace isn’t for everyone, and it's better to know it early.
We also won't compromise on integrity to hit a target, ever. What this means to us is to act honestly, treat the people around you with respect regardless of their background, and remember that no deal, deadline or target is worth someone's health or relationships.
Culture scales through stories, and we need new ones
When 9fin was small, Huss would sit down with every new joiner and say: pick any value and ask Steven what the story is behind it.
Our team are the people who carry this forward now – in how they hire, how they give feedback, or how they show up when something is hard. The stories from the original eleven are foundational, and we'll keep telling them. But nine years in, with four hundred people, we need new ones!
If you're ambitious, principled, and want to help us write the next chapter, we'd love to hear from you. Check out our open roles.
