Darvis behind the scenes

As my dear friend, co-founder and CEO Jan-Philipp and I reflect on the past 8+ years with Darvis, we can't help but wonder where the time has gone. It's been an incredible journey that has led us to this moment of reflection and milestone, as we take the time to write about our company here on LinkedIn. This is an important section that we believe deserves deeper attention, as it allows us to show our appreciation for the individuals who work tirelessly behind the scenes and on the front lines to make Darvis the success it is today.

Despite having over 100 team members spread across the globe in different time zones, from Nashville (Headquarters) to London to Hamburg to Islamabad, we have managed to create a company culture that works. Although communicating across different time zones can be challenging, we have found ways to make it work by putting a lot of honest effort into our company culture. We don't rely on fancy new methods or scientific models to control our team; instead, we focus on mutual respect and a common goal of keeping the company prosperous so that we can give back to our employees and customers.

Maintaining our company culture is not always easy, and we face challenges when it comes to holidays, religious aspects, and differing mentalities. However, we have found that starting with what everyone has in common and then working our way up to the point where we can't handle the highest level of individuality and autonomy anymore has been successful. We must unify and formalise for the greater good of the company, while still recognising and respecting the individuality and culture of each team member.

We prioritise celebrating the small things in life, such as birthdays, career achievements, and yearly events, as well as certain holidays, to create a healthy company culture. By celebrating together with family and friends, we strengthen our bonds and create a sense of community. We also believe in the importance of mutual respect for each team member and their individual cultures. As the Na'vi from the planet Pandora say, "Oel ngati kameie," which means "I see you" and implies more than just visual acknowledgement.

It's exciting to see that our basic strategy of mutual respect and a common goal is working, despite the challenges we face. We believe that this approach can be applied beyond our company and that it's strange that companies can work across borders and religions to follow the same goal and share the same values of providing for individuals, families, and communities, while countries across continents struggle to do so.