Our Values

How We Communicate

We listen.

We know this to be true when

• We listen before responding
• We paraphrase what we heard to make sure we interpreted it correctly
• We create space for everyone to contribute their voice by inviting others to contribute, leaving silence in a meeting, and asking for each team member's perspective
• We review project documentation in advance of asking questions

We speak up.

We know this to be true when

• We give praise openly and often
• We ask questions to gain clarity
• We voice our need for help
• We share concerns about how we do the work
• We debrief and participate in retros
• We sync up before going away or handing off a project

We provide feedback safely.

We know this to be true when

• We ask for permission to give feedback before giving it
• We ask questions about how decisions were made
• We are mindful of our tone and delivery
• We provide feedback in a timely manner
• We provide actionable ideas on how to improve
• We provide critical feedback 1:1

How We Treat Each Other

We work as one team.

We know this to be true when

• We step in to support each other
• We create documents like one-pagers to kick off projects and everyone contributes
• We work in one design file together from the start
• We work in the open, sharing work early and often

We encourage each other.

We know this to be true when

• We make feedback helpful and actionable
• We are not afraid to give feedback to improve the work, but we do it with kindness
• We give others credit for their contributions and we recognize good work

We are inclusive.

We know this to be true when

• We invite different opinions and approaches to how we work
• We listen to others perspectives and acknowledge how that might challenge our assumptions
• We feel safe showing up as our authentic selves

How We Show Up

With integrity.

We know this to be true when

• We take ownership of our individual behavior and impact
• We do not pawn off responsibility onto others
• We do not blame our teammates
• We support each other in front of clients

With humility.

We know this to be true when

• We strive to be better without perfectionism
• We leave our egos at the door
• We aim to understand rather than judge
• We recognize that we can learn from anyone, regardless of experience

We take care of ourselves.

We know this to be true when

• We prioritize taking care of our mental and physical health, and we encourage others to do the same
• We communicate when we need help to avoid burning out
• We maintain healthy boundaries. We stay off Slack and email during our time off.
• We understand that it is okay to be sick and have off days
• We practice compassion towards ourselves

How We Work

We leverage different backgrounds.

We know this to be true when

• We acknowledge that there is no one right way to do something or solve a problem, and embrace different ways of working
• We leverage different types of backgrounds to secure different types of projects
• We experiment

We prioritize.

We know this to be true when

• We are intentional and choose what our priorities are, and we focus on completing them
• We create agendas for meetings in advance. We respect everyone's time and keep meetings on schedule.
• We have clear decisions and next steps at the end of meetings

We work sustainably.

We know this to be true when

• We estimate the true scope of work
• We schedule enough time to accomplish tasks
• We work efficiently so we can execute on time
• We mitigate emergencies, acknowledging their impact on our work/life balance

How We Create Safety

We practice grounded openness.

We know this to be true when

• We assume best intentions in every interaction
• We ask the question nobody else is asking, knowing there is no such thing as a dumb question
• We say I don't know or I'm lost without calculating the cost first
• We treat being wrong early as better than being confidently wrong later
• We give feedback in the form of a question before making a declaration
• We create space for vulnerability by modeling it ourselves
• We recognize that the best ideas come from the safest rooms

We honor how each other is wired.

We know this to be true when

• We recognize that different brains produce different kinds of brilliance
• We do not mistake communication style for capability or commitment
• We adapt how we deliver and receive information based on what actually works for each person
• We treat neurodiversity as a feature of our team, not a challenge to manage
• We separate intent from delivery when someone's words don't match what we know of their character
• We tell each other directly and kindly when something is not landing the way it was meant

Grounded Openness

Grounded openness is not a policy. It is a practice. It is the condition Forge commits to creating in every engagement, every conversation, and every relationship.

Grounded openness means being rooted in experience and conviction while remaining genuinely open to being wrong. It means creating environments where people feel safe enough to think out loud, change their minds, admit uncertainty, and ask the question nobody else is asking.

The best work Forge has ever done came from moments of grounded openness. When a designer said I think we're solving the wrong problem. When a client said I don't actually understand why we made this decision. When someone asked the obvious question that unlocked the whole engagement.

These moments don't happen by accident. They happen in environments where leadership models vulnerability first, where no question is too basic, where being wrong early is celebrated rather than penalized. This is what we're building at Forge.

Neurodiversity at Forge

Forge's founder has ADHD and is neurodiverse. This is not a footnote. It is a foundational fact about how this company was built and what it values.

Neurodivergent brains are disproportionately represented among the most original thinkers, systems architects, and creative leaders in the technology industry. The same cognitive wiring that makes certain professional norms difficult also makes certain kinds of thinking possible: pattern recognition across unrelated domains, deep hyperfocus, unconventional problem framing, and a genuine inability to accept because that's how it's done as sufficient justification.

Forge treats neurodiversity as a feature, not a bug. We do not expect neurotypical communication styles as the standard. We separate intent from delivery. We ask what someone means before assuming we know.

Communication style is not a proxy for capability, commitment, or character. We do not penalize disclosure. A collaborator who shares that they are neurodivergent is owed accommodation, not scrutiny. If you are neurodiverse and working with Forge, you are welcome as you are.