Our illuminem Values

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Being part of illuminem means embracing a mission larger than ourselves, a commitment to our planet. Our diverse and inclusive team is united by its resilience and a relentless pursuit of excellence, ensuring that every hour is impactful. 

We are firmly grounded in our Values:

1. We are on a mission for our planet, nothing less.
2. We focus on the core: Value for our users first, the organization second, and us as individuals third. We prioritize fiercely.
3. We care, we verify, we own it. It's not your fault, but you are the solution! Our responsibility is achieving outcomes, not following a process. Heartcount, not headcount.
4. We are always on stage. We set the bar high. Every detail matters. Excellence is our standard.
5. We work hard to succeed (there is no 8h working day at illuminem). And if we fall short of expectations, we work twice as hard to do it right.
6. We persevere and show resilience because it's hard to beat a startup that doesn't give up.
7. We are the fastest-iterating company. We always work with a clear running hypothesis, stay data- and KPI-informed, report daily on wins, escalate roadblocks promptly, and support each other in resolving obstacles together. 
8. We give every idea a fair hearing, and once direction is chosen, we respect hierarchy, and move as one. We always defend illuminem and our leadership in public, and challenge each other candidly in one-on-one conversations.
9. We are humble, frugal and never defensive. We are the Example. Attitude defines our Altitude.
10. We build external networks to support us. We are proud to represent illuminem, not secretive, not alone.

Living Our Values: illuminem's Coat of Arms

To literally visualize our Values, we designed the illuminem coat of arms (now used across all illuminem Club memberships!), expressing each of our Values through a set of symbols that represent what we stand for.

In the lower register of the coat of arms, we draw on the three cities woven into illuminem’s story: Pisa, where the first work on the illuminem project began (one summer, before the creation of the website and legal entity); Paris, our current base; and Venice, our first office.

The olive tree symbolizes our planet and humility: "We are on a mission for our planet, nothing less." The olive tree also reminds us to stay "humble, frugal, and never defensive. We are the example: attitude defines our altitude."

The polar star is the sense of mission and focus: "We focus on the core. Value for our users comes first, the organisation second, and us as individuals third. We prioritise fiercely."

The bee reflects work, discipline, and responsibility: "We care, we verify, we own it. It's not your fault, but you are the solution – our responsibility is achieving outcomes, not following a process. We are always on stage, we set the bar high, and every detail matters; excellence is our standard. We work hard to succeed (there is no eight-hour working day at illuminem), and if we fall short, we work twice as hard to put it right."

The tower evokes our perseverance: "We persevere and show resilience, because it's hard to beat a startup that doesn't give up."

The astrolabe is a symbol of data and KPI-informed decision-making: "We always work with a clear running hypothesis, stay data- and KPI-informed, report daily on wins, escalate roadblocks promptly, and support each other in resolving obstacles together. Heartcount, not headcount."

The chessboard background illustrates order: "We give every idea a fair hearing, then align fully. Once a direction is chosen, we respect hierarchy, avoid side tracks, and move as one."

The constellation (of our birthday in January 2023) brings to life the external networks: "We build external networks to support us. We are proud to represent Illuminem – not secretive, not alone."