Hootsuite's Social Revolution: Manifesto, Principles, and History

#BSU

Hootsuite’s Manifesto

Building a social revolution

This document is a resource for all Hootsuite employees. We give this to each new team

member who joins us.

Hootsuite’s Manifesto contains our core principles, some stories of our history and culture,

and a special Peepsbook.

Our Core Principles

Our vision is to

revolutionizecommunications via

social.

Vision

Our mission is to transform

messagesinto meaningful

relationships.

Mission

A passionate, egoless team having

fun building something bigger than

themselves.

Our Culture

Hardworking

Collaborative

Resourceful

Egoless

Innovative

Our Team

Passion in all we do

Lead with humility

Respect the individual

Build a better way

Our Values

Our Story

•

In 2008 Hootsuite was born out of Invoke, a digital marketing agency that Ryan

founded in 2000.

•

For the first year, a seven-person team—one-third of Invoke— grew the  zero-revenue

product. (You don’t need to be a CFOto understand that it was tough to make ends

meet.)

•

But by 2009, viral growth and investment led us to spin itout as an independent

company.

•

By 2011, we entered ‘hyper growth,’ and have since gonefrom 20 to over 600

employees—in under 3 years.

History

Being in hyper growth is kind of like learning to ride a bike

down a steep, unpaved hill at breakneck speed:

Everything is flashing past you, there are huge bumps along

the way, you HAVE to learn as you go, and all the while, it’s a

pretty thrilling ride.

So what has kept usbalanced, focused andsteady on the

seat?

Our Culture

Indeed, like other great companies before

us, we discovered that culture is the

gravity of a successful, fast-growing

company.

It’s the constant, steady force that binds us

together and keeps us focused and

driven.

It’s what makes people want to come to

work every day.

It’s what makes us stronger than our

competitors.

This manifesto makes sure we hit the brakes and take a

snapshot of the most important aspects of Hootsuite’s

culture today.

“FOR THE PEOPLE,

BY THE PEOPLE.”

This manifesto was created as a bottoms-up document.

Employees from across the organization were asked to

provide input on what they feel.

A brief history of #BSU

#BSU 

is a term that has remained a steady part of our culture

throughout our hyper growth. This is why it’s a perfect symbol

that captures the culture and essence of our company.

What is #BSU? 

This is something that many of our new team

members wonder. Some have admitted they even Googled it

when they first started.

#BSU

= Blow Shit Up

Yup, B.S.U. is an acronym for

‘blow shit up’.

In the early days of Hootsuite, the phrase

was widely used by Ryan, as a motivational

mantra to get people excited about what

they were working on: “Let’s blow shit up!”

(“Let’s build some internet people!” was

the other phrase he used a lot backthen,

but didn’t stick in the same way.)

Before we knew it, “Let’s blow shit up!” was being used by all departments

across the company—in emails, chats, parties, even town halls, and by

everyone, from the newest intern to our top VPs and executives.

And eventually, in true fashion of a social media company, we

made into a viral hashtag: #BSU

Why has #BSU lasted

so long?

1.

#BSU is a pillar of our language and culture.

2.

‌It has lots of energy behind it. Like many of us here.

3.

It’s limitless. There are no limits to how much or how 

far you can ‘blow shit up.’ And it

applies to all of us who   

work here. Whether it’s an amazing line of code or a  

new

product or marketing campaign, we can all take our  

own project and blow it up!

4.

Finally, ‘blow shit up,’ is inherently disruptive in nature,

just like we are.

4 Reasons:

#BSU is a pillar of our

language & culture

The #BSU spirit is something we all embody internally, so

it’s also reflected in our company vision:

“To revolutionize communication

via social”

(we are revolutionaries!)

Why We Love ToCome to

Work

In the course of researching this document,

we asked dozens of people why they love to come to work.

There were some very common themes that arose:

#BSU is a pillar of our

language & culture

At Hootsuite, you get to work with really interesting,

smart, open-minded people. They’re good at what they do because

they’re passionate about it.

1.

High Caliber

Teammates

“When I first came in, I was

vibrating with excitement. There

was just a certain vibe and you

could tell everyone wants to be

here, and they’re good at what

they do and care about their

jobs.”

Erin Fitzpatrick

Administration Ambassador

Coming to work is an opportunity to gain invaluable knowledge.

By working at Hootsuite you are getting years of career experience

at an accelerated rate simply by being part of this unique growth.

2.

You are on a steep

learning curve.

“I am certain the rest of my life

will be better because

I worked here. Now I’m a part of

a community of people who

can think outside the box and

will probably create the next big

thing—and that’s really cool.”

Corporate Account Executive

Scott Walker

Here we have an opportunity to play a huge role in the forming of an entire

industry, an entirely new communication channel—no different than the TV or

radio or email at their emergence. These things shook the world and now social

is doing that.

You can really make a difference. Whatever you are working on, you can see

millions of people using it—or see how it has a direct connection to revenue.

That’s incredibly rewarding.

3.

Having an

Impact

“At Hootsuite there are so

many opportunities right now

where I know I can have an

impact and make the product

better. That’s why I’m here.”

Helen Park

Senior UI/UX Designer

It’s a time of great movement and opportunity—the company’s

hyper growth is creating whole new pockets and paths

to delve into… without stepping on anyone’s toes.

4.

Opportunity

for growth

“At Hootsuite there are so

many opportunities right now

where I know I can have an

impact and make the product

better. That’s why I’m here.”

Korey Gannon

Talent Advisor

Our quality of life is supported at work. There are things at the

office like yoga, fresh juice, organic fruit, dogs, a gym and a nap

room—not because it’s a gimmick or because everyone is doing it,

but because we are already people who pursue a healthy lifestyle

and work-life balance.

5.

A Holistic Life

At Hootsuite there is a culture of trust. We are given autonomy

to get our work done. No one is monitoring when I take

my lunch or punch in...or out. And that’s what frees us to go

beyond expectations.

6.

Freedom

“I’m living a dream as the

founder and CEO of

Hootsuite. Our product

touches billions of people and

I’m surrounded by an amazing

team who loves innovation as

much as I do.”

Ryan Holmes

Founder & CEO

The Peepsbook

As a Hootsuite employee, we want you to have this Peepsbook

to guide you in your journey.

What is the Peepsbook? It’s a passionate, united expression of What

We Do, How We Do It, and most importantly—How We #BSU.

WHO WE ARE

“We never set out to build a

product that was going to

help a protester in Egypt have

a voice; it was really about

making a good product to

help people…it still is.”

Paul Donnelly

Principal UX Designer

(and one of Hootsuite’s first 4 

employees)

We’re proud to be at the forefront of the

social revolution, a one-of-its-kind company

with top talent in the city. country. globe.

In this way, we are pioneers. This all

contributes to our shared sense of

purpose.

We Are Pioneers

“Being at Hootsuite in the

beginning was akin to walking

into Vivienne Westwood’s SEX

shop and witnessing the Sex

Pistols learn how to play their

first 3 chords.”

Strategist, Alternative Growth Channels

Hootsuite is a special and highly unique

experience that we all feel lucky to be a part

of. It feels great to be a part of an

unprecedented success on such a huge

trajectory.

We all have this sense we are in the midst of

having a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

When will we ever experience this again in

our lives?

Chris Trottier

People who thrive at

Hootsuite are passionate,

driven, hustlers;

entrepreneurial by nature.



People who like to experiment and

always try new things.



People who are self-directed and self-

motivated.



People who never rest until the job is

done.

Who Thrives at Hootsuite?

“We’re hustlers—in that we

hustle by nature. We ‘just do

it.’ Our focus is on getting it

done.  Because if you can’t

ship it, it’s irrelevant.”

•

We refuse to be cogs in the wheel.

•

We are agile and don’t waste time in

countless meetings.

•

We are egoless, resourceful, and driven

by purpose.

•

We are people who see possibilities over

limitations.

We celebrate our diversity

and pride ourselves on it

Director of Technology

Beier Cai

We are our own vibrant

community of artists,

builders, dreamers, and

everything else.

WHAT WE DO

We give customers a voice

they didn’t have before social

media. We can help empower

businesses and people to turn

messages into meaningful

relationships.

(To top it off, we get to work with

cool customers who similarly ‘get’

the potential of new tools like

social and have open minds.)

What We Do

Hootsuite was perfectly positioned to ride

the social wave. We built a product that

filled the void faster and better than anyone

else.

We’ve been ahead of the game from the

start, learning, reiterating, improving on

social media technologies. It’s a great place

to be.

Being in this advantageous position, we’ve

become an advocate for businesses who

want to evolve.

We are part of a revolutionary

change in communication. We

have the potential to change

the way people around the

world interact on a large scale.

“In this space we’re the most legit

tech company. We’re like the

Google of social media.

It’s a culture thing, it’s a product

thing, it’s a people thing. We have

a strong engineering culture, a

real respect for the product and

we’re not just in it to make some

cash and get out.”

We live and breathe social media. We ‘grew’

up on it, and it’s in our DNA. We know social

media inside and out, and we want to share

our experiences with others.

At Hootsuite, we are building something

with a purpose: It’s a product, a solution, a

community, an industry.

Purposeful Work

Mo Zahid

Lead Analyst, Online Revenue

Image

Because we are leaders in the space, many

of us have found ourselves quickly

becoming mentors to our teammates and

the greater community.

So we connect with our local community

and support others and share our

knowledge—it’s very important for us to

give back and share our experiences.

We Give Back

HOW WE #BSU

“You can become really arrogant

when you have some success.

But when you are on top you

have way more to lose. We don’t

think here, ‘We made it—let’s just

rest on our laurels.’ At Hootsuite

we keep challenging ourselves to

the next level.”

Even though we have a competitive

advantage, we don’t ever sit back and get

complacent. Our blades are always

sharpened—We’re always ready to take

down the competition.

We think long term, because we’re building

a 50-year company, not a 5-year one. We

approach it like we are running a marathon,

not a sprint.

Andrea Lemon

Corporate Account Executive

Image

Work out loud

We strive to constantly give each other visibility

into the bigger picture.

Keep open doors

We have an open door policy for everyone, no

matter what position. Our offices therefore have

no walls or barriers (physically or metaphorically).

Set visible, big picture goals

Knowing what others are doing and seeing big

picture goals helps us better support each other

and share a greater sense of purpose.

How We #BSU

We foster

collaborationwithout

barriers.

We like Daniel:

“Human beings have an innate inner drive to

be autonomous, self-determined, and

connected to one another. And when that

drive is liberated, people achieve more and

live richer lives.”

– Daniel Pink, Psychologist

“Most other tech companies have

a longer release cycle.

At Hootsuite, factors like

bureaucracy or infrastructure don’t

get in the way so we’re releasing at

a rate of 10 times a day. Your code

is basically going straight to

production. That’s why we really

need to trust each other.”

Working at Hootsuite, you get to be a

pioneer, shape trends, be a part of the

newest and emerging technologies.

Everything is exciting because we’re on the

cutting edge of our industry.

There is always a new challenge and the

learning doesn’t stop.

We have an agile and uniquely

innovative work environment

Lead Software Engineer

Bill Monkman

Finally, we embrace

changeat work, not fear

it.

With change comes growth.

“People here step in without

hesitation. They’re proactive

helpers. The startup culture

has fostered this. And there’s

a very tight team feeling that

you don’t necessarily find

elsewhere.”

In this way, over time, we have

built a culture of inclusion,

community, and support—you

can try to manufacture that but

you can’t.

Jaime Stein

Senior Manager, Social Media

In fact, this is how Hootsuite came to be. So

this remains still a core principle throughout:

“Always believe in the projects

that make you excited and drive

you to do ‘crazy’ things. You

might not end up at the exact

destination you set out to reach,

but it will eventually lead

somewhere better than if you

never tried.”

Ryan Holmes

Founder & Ceo

“Here there’s an overall sense

of curiosity and

inquisitiveness. It seems

everyone is always chipping

away at something everyone is

trying to push something

somewhere. It’s a culture of

optimism.”

Josh Lamb

Software Engineer

(formerly Junior Accountant)

So.. are you ready

to #BSU?