A Dive into App Inlet’s Company Culture
App Inlet has a unique company culture because it is a family-owned business. A family business in itself is not a very unique thing, however, a family-owned digital company is quite rare. Most companies run by families can be commonly found in the commercial industry where each family member’s area of expertise differs and all play a role in promoting a tangible product. In App Inlet’s case, most family members involved are skilled in either design or development or even both.
According to the job site Indeed, corporate culture is: “The set of behavioural and procedural norms observed within a company. This includes policies, procedures, ethics, values, employee behaviours and attitudes, goals, and code of conduct. It also makes up the ‘personality’ of a company, defining the work environment (professional, casual, fast-paced, etc).”
ServeyLegend has published an article written by Jasko Mahmutovic which states that company culture can be broken down into 4 main types:
1.) Clan Culture – which primarily exists in more traditional organisations versus digital ones. Because these companies are often family-owned, there is often a focus on nurturing employees through interpersonal connections or mentoring programs. Of course, this is all done to create the feeling of a true extended family.
2.) Hierarchical Culture – also exists in traditional organisations. The businesses have a lot of structure with power and decision-making at the top. As a result, only the C-suite is in charge of making decisions. Consequently, other employees can feel undervalued and powerless. So, while this type of organisational culture is often very efficient, it’s not ideal for fostering creativity or innovation.
3.) Market Culture – is designed for digitally-savvy businesses that want to scale. So, this culture is very results-oriented, valuing internal competition and rewarding winners. Therefore, this is a culture where all employees are expected to be on their “A-game.” Those that consistently succeed experience significant financial rewards or promotion opportunities.
4.) Adhocracy Culture – Associated with digital companies and encouraging risk-taking, an adhocracy focused on innovation. In this less structured culture, all employees are encouraged to participate regardless of their position because you never know where the next big idea will come from!
App inlet takes qualities from a few cultures outlined above, namely being a family-owned digitally-savvy company that wants to scale and encourage employees to participate regardless of their position as more of a hands-on approach to tasks. A small company with big goals.
Here’s what a few App Inlet employees had to say about the inner workings of their company:
Reagan (Junior Developer) – ”The folk at App Inlet are friendly and determined. I feel at home with this team.”
Kerrin (Senior Web Developer) – “App Inlet is a tight-knit multi-team company. Open communication is encouraged, and new insights and ideas are respected and considered. The journey is as important as the end results, which means we focus on quality solutions as well as quality results.”
Sabelo (Developer) – “App Inlet is a results-driven company that enhances creativity and problem-solving while also accommodating its employees’ differences in cultural background and personality. There is no “one size fits all” policy.”
Candice (UI/UX & Graphic Designer) – “App Inlet is a dynamic, innovative team, geared toward maintaining a healthy work environment that promotes growth and focuses on individual employee strengths and skills.”
Simi (Support Desk) – “There’s an excellent working environment, and there’s Great leadership all-around which has a trickle-down effect on the rest of the company.”
Diya (Product Owner) – “App Inlet allows employees to grow as an individual and also in their careers. They give their team challenges and also guidance. The culture at App Inlet is (Clan & Market culture) very warm and friendly but at the same time very goal-driven.”
Collen (Developer) – “At App Inlet, there is creativity & innovation which is good for both career growth and development, plus there is candy on Fridays 😉.”
Marco (Graphic & UI/UX Designer) – “App Inlet has a real family vibe. I would say we are a combination of clan, market and adhocracy cultures. Family run with great mentoring. Digitally smart with the aim to scale. App Inlet uniquely encourages employees to try to participate in certain tasks outside of their position, which is great for the growth of our skills.”
Melissa (Creative Director) – “App Inlet is about innovation, staying open to new thoughts and methods. Inspiration, where we see results from the inspired activity and integration, bringing our personalities into a coordinated, harmonious whole.”
Yonela (Web Designer) – “App Inlet is about achieving what you were dreaming for, learning new things about technology, we inspired ourselves and our clients in a professional way.”
App Inlet maintains a certain set of characteristics and core values which is, in a nutshell, what makes the company’s personality so strong. Most of which are in line with the 7 main characteristics of organisational culture: Viability, Relationships, Performance, Evolution, Alignment, Collaboration and Contribution. We encourage others to do the same because a company with strong values and goals is a company with a strong identity.
Thank you for taking the time to get to know us. Check out our about page to learn more about our team, or should we say, our family.