Craft in company building
We're growing fast and that's made me reflect on the type of company we want to be. Internally, I talk a lot about Brian Chesky’s quote about creating an “11 star experience”. To me, this is a core part of how we think about building Arcol, not just in our product but in how we work with our customers and prospective customers. It's never just been about building an amazing tool; it's been about creating moments that stick.
Story time. At the beginning of the year we were just about to turn on monetisation and we had a firm that we’d been working with for a few months with a clear champion there. We’d been getting feedback from them for a few months and really enjoyed working with them. But. Now it was time to ask for money, we were starting to charge users and I wanted them to be one of the first.
I got on a call with them. My internal fear was if they didn’t convert to a paid contract, then they would get lost in the demand we had (all of our demand comes inbound to us). They weren’t quite sure if timing was right to invest into Arcol, so I offered this “are you free tomorrow to grab coffee”.
Now usually, this would be no big deal to meet a user in person. The punchline here…. They were a 3 ½ hour flight away. I came home, packed a bag and got on the first flight out the next morning. TLDR is they actually didn’t even end up signing a contract but told me “we’ve never had a software provider fly out to us to say they’re sorry they may not be able to give them the best support”.
As companies grow, conventional wisdom suggests sacrifices are inevitable. That special moment that customers remember you for fades into a story you reminisce on at townhalls once a year, instead of the standard. But it’s important that it’s part of our DNA, it’s what we value. The craft of our partners' experience.
It may be naïve to think you can scale and maintain the care and attention that set you apart in the first place — but we're comfortable sticking our necks out to do just that. No one should feel lost in the shuffle, and every customer interaction should carry the same weight as the conversations that shaped our earliest days.
"Working with the Arcol team has been a pleasure. They're highly responsive to feedback and proactive about updates, which is essential as we integrate the platform into our workflow more and more. Their customer support and communication have been excellent."
— Dan Audette, GWWO
Every interaction, big or small, is a chance to build trust and loyalty. Whether it's a feature request or an honest assessment that another tool might better fit someone's needs, we'll always do what's right for customers because that's what an 11-star experience demands. Our bet is that integrity and creating moments people remember will pay dividends in the long run.
One of the things we talk about most at Arcol is Craft. Usually in the vein of design, creativity and products — but Craft is bigger than that. Craft is a value and approach to all areas of work. For us, part of our Craft is the pride we take in every interaction with every customers.
We always want to be better, so if you think we could be doing something better, email me paul@arcol.io
As Arcol continues to grow, our promise is simple: we'll be as obsessive about how we work with you as we are about the product itself. Our 11-star experience mentality isn't just a story or a moment in time — it's our foundation and commitment to you. Onwards and upwards.
— Paul + the Arcol Team
Photo by Ross Parmly on Unsplash