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Letter to our team

February 27 — 2021

Sébastien Morin
Partner ⏤ President & Chief Strategy Officer

In 2019, I wrote a letter that turned into a presentation that Albert and I made to take the time to explain to our team what Mirego's mission means to us. This document had never been publicly shared. Since then, several new members have joined our team, and we currently have dozens of positions to fill. We have now decided to share the full piece so that we are all aligned with what we are trying to accomplish, but also with what is important at Mirego. It is up to each member of our team to make the ideal presented in this document their own and ensure that we work towards it every day.



Better.

Better: it's a word we use abundantly at Mirego because it evokes the idea that we can constantly improve things, that we can do better, and that we can have an impact on the world and the people around us. This constant desire to improve things, both at Mirego and in the world, is part of our DNA and defines who we are.

Its subjectivity makes "better" a word that inspires. We can all imbue it with a meaning that speaks to us and that we hold dear. However, its subjectivity creates harmful ambiguity when it comes to clarifying our mission and the necessary steps to accomplish it. We all have our own idea of what the best team in the world, the best place to work, and a better world should be like.

By reminding ourselves of what "better" means to us, we hope to make our goals more objective and clarify the contribution that each of us can make towards their attainment on a daily basis.



The plan.

  1. Build the best place to work.
  2. In order to attract the best and build the best team.
  3. To make the best products and thus have the kind of impact we want to have in the world.


It's as simple as that.


The best place to work 

Allows for meaningful work and professional fulfillment in a healthy and balanced environment with one's personal life.

The best team 

Is composed of passionate individuals who build the best products in the world, provide the best service, and work the most collaboratively as a team.

Building a better world 

Means building useful things with people and organizations who want to have a positive impact on as many lives as possible.



Building a better world.

Building a better world: these four words may seem cliché, but they concretely help us every day to define our service offerings, choose the partners we decide to work with, and measure the scope of what we are trying to build.

For us, building a better world means building useful and sustainable things with people and organizations who want to make a difference in as many lives as possible.


Building useful and sustainable things.


To build useful things first and foremost means that we believe in the transformative power that technology can have on people, organizations, and the world we live in. We are convinced that everything will eventually be improved by lines of code, lights that illuminate our homes, cars that will one day drive our children to school, and the beating heart in our chest. There is still so much to do and too little time to spend on projects that do not have a positive contribution.

The mandates we accept and the ideas we propose to our clients are always aligned with this vision. How can we have a positive impact on people's lives? How can we build something fundamentally useful for them? How can we make a difference? We believe that people who create products used every day by millions of people have a responsibility to ensure that they have a positive impact on the world around them, and we take this role very seriously.

Building useful things for us also means that we do not create disposable products and that all of our efforts are focused on building sustainable solutions that improve our lives. We wish and will always strive to contribute to projects that will have a remarkable longterm impact for our clients' organizations and the people who will use them every day for many years.


For people who want to make a difference

We do not work with people who have bad intentions or do not share our thirst for building the beautiful and useful. Our aim is to collaborate with visionaries who understand that the most sustainable way to grow a business is through an unceasing quest for new ways to please customers and employees. We work with those who wish to use digital technology to improve people's lives, sometimes subtly, sometimes spectacularly.

The imperatives of business make this selection process imperfect. We categorically reject all projects that do not respect our values, but there may be clients or projects that were misjudged. When we realize that we are working with people whose values do not match ours, our duty is to stop the collaboration as quickly as possible to allow members of our team to use all their time, talent, and creativity to make a positive contribution to people's lives.

“ One thing, which you have to learn, is never work for a bad client. Because, from a bad client, the next one will be worse. So you work for a good client, the next one will be better, and better. No matter what, even if you’re hungry, even if you’re desperate, never work for a bad client because it’s a waste of time. ” 

Massimo Vignelli ⏤ Design is one: Leila & Massimo Vignelli

For as many people as possible.

Our ambition knows no bounds. We have always been fundamentally convinced that the products we build can help our clients reinvent themselves and rewrite the rules of their industry. We have also set the goal of improving the lives of one billion people with the products and services we create for them. To achieve the kind of impact we want to have, we must work with clients or on projects that have a global scale and can help us reach those billion people.

This ambitious mission inevitably requires us to look outward and beyond Canada for the future. We must grow and work with partners who can help us achieve the impact we so desire.

To attract the attention of the biggest players, we absolutely must build the best products in the world. However, we are convinced that we have all the talent and expertise we need to build the best experiences on the planet. Our goal is not necessarily to build the biggest team in the world, but rather to build the best.



The best team in the world.

To attract and build the world's greatest projects and have the impact we want to have, we must constantly create products that are so remarkable that they will attract the attention and admiration of people all over the world. And to create such notable products, we must necessarily build the best team in the world. That's why we decided to change our mission two years ago. We want to do more than just build an exceptional team: we want to build the best one.

What does this team look like? How can we know, without a doubt, that we are the best? We really can't. That's what makes it beautiful. There is no list. No competition can prove it. No trophy will be officially awarded to us. And ironically, the moment we sit back and believe we have become the best, a more humble team will prove us wrong.

However, we can identify what in our opinion defines this team and build a plan to achieve this ideal. The best team is made up of passionate people who build the best products in the world, offer the best service, and work together the most effectively. 


Is made of passionate people.

The best team is composed of inspired and inspiring people. Their passion for their craft is limitless. Even after decades of experience, they still have the ability to marvel at a well-written line of code, a judicious typographic choice, or a brand new way of using digital to reinvent an industry or improve a user’s life. Their love for their work is pure. Even if they did not have to earn a living, these passionate people would still be building digital wonders every day. More than just a job, the creation of digital products is a vocation for them because they know it allows them to have an impact on the lives of the people who use them.

These passionate people don't need to be forced to take a course to master a new tool, technology, or way of doing things. Their passion guides their curiosity. Their appetite for knowledge is never satisfied. In short, people who are part of the best team constantly invest the time and energy it takes to be the best out of passion. Thanks to these people, the best digital product team is always one step ahead: they don't just hear about the latest tools, ways of doing things or technologies available to them; they try them out, master them, and sometimes even contribute to their development. The most passionate team understands tomorrow's opportunities and innovates because they already live in the future.

In order to build the best team, we must be attentive and try to identify those who share our passion. More than anything, this fire is what defines us. And, as if by magic, the fire grows when it is in contact with fire. The more we share it, the more it burns. That's why we must constantly radiate, both internally and externally, this love we have for our work because it is contagious and can convince those whose hearts beat as strongly as ours. It is also essential to surround ourselves only with people who are just as passionate as we are in order to constantly stoke the flame.

To keep this fire alive within each current and potential team member, we must constantly implement initiatives to promote the acquisition and sharing of knowledge at Mirego. There are several ways to stoke this fire, whether it's through a lunch and learn that allows a colleague to present a new way of doing things, a horizontal meeting that allows for the sharing of best practices, the simple addition of a book to our library, or the use of annual training budgets available to each member of our team. We all have a role to play in ensuring our colleagues keep their passion alive.


Builds the best products in the world.

In our opinion, the best team does not waste its time trying to prove that it is the best. For example, we do not find it relevant to post messages when we get a new mandate and start working with a new client, no matter how important they are. We present our work once it is completed because ultimately, we believe that it is this work that determines the quality of our team. We believe that the achievements of the best team speak for themselves, and in our opinion, the best team in digital product creation is the best because it builds the best products, plain and simple.

We believe the best digital products achieve three things:

1- They deliver exceptional results. The best digital products creatively meet the business needs of our clients, allowing them to achieve their goals. They drive their growth and transformation. The best digital product team must, therefore, include the best strategists, advisors, and digital product managers whose mission is to understand the market and reality of our clients to best support them, fuel their vision, and ensure they build the right product or service: the one that will produce the desired impact.

2- They delight users. The best digital products meet users’ needs and enable them to complete their tasks with ease. However, the best products do not stop at being reliable and easy to use, They delight and make users smile. They make beautiful experiences possible every day. They touch users’ hearts. This is the kind of product we want to build at Mirego. The best team, therefore, must include the best design and user experience experts whose goal is to understand people's reality and create experiences and interfaces that they will love. The best team consists of people whose mission is to create beauty, no matter what form it may take.

3- They are reliable and stand the test of time. We always build for the long term. Quality code and the right technology choices are table stakes for a flawless user experience and a product that will seamlessly evolve over time. The best digital product development team is therefore composed of the best developers whose mission is to always be on the lookout for new technologies and the best ways to build innovative products that will generate value for years to come. The best team of quality assurance specialists guarantees alignment to Mirego’s high quality standards. They work alongside the best development team to ensure that we never relent on delivering quality.

Strategy, design, and development: these three areas of expertise are equally important if we want to create what we consider to be the best digital products in the world.


Provides the best service.

We have a strong product culture at Mirego and are constantly thinking about how we can build better products for our clients. However, we are first and foremost a service company. Customer satisfaction is the economic engine of any business. It is usually what pays the salaries and drives growth. Our team members are always encouraged to use their creativity and dedication to provide exceptional service that consistently exceeds expectations.

According to us, the best service is:

  • Reliable: we always honour our commitments, what we deliver works well and we keep our word.
  • Empathetic: we always make an effort to put ourselves in our clients' shoes and understand their situation before making a decision, providing a recommendation or communicating news. People at Mirego care and demonstrate it every day in their interactions with our clients.
  • Solution-oriented: our clients don't hire us to solve simple problems. When presented with a challenge, we never respond by explaining why it won't work. Instead, we seek to identify how it could work.
  • Efficient: we always look for ways to do more with less: less effort, less time, and less money.


Works as a team.

Finally, the best team must be a team. Too often people confuse "team" with "grouping of individuals." A team of people who collaborate well, constantly share their knowledge, and row in the same direction will always accomplish more than a group of more experienced and talented people who do not work as a team.

Collaboration is at the heart of our success. The importance of the mission we are all trying to accomplish leaves no room for individualism. If we have a choice between a talented individual or a good team player, we always prioritize the team player because teamwork takes us further.



The best place to work.

In order to achieve great things, for us, for our clients, but first and foremost for the people who use their products and services every day, we need the best team. And in order to attract, train, and retain the best players, we must necessarily build the best place to work.

For us, building the best place to work is certainly not about partying, even though we know how to do it with panache when the occasion arises. It's not about the perks we offer our team members or the quality of our workspaces: these elements are part of what we consider to be the basics of a suitable workplace. It's not about hiring only people "you'd grab a beer with," even though we consider camaraderie essential.

For us, the best place to work is based on three simple but most important ideas: doing meaningful work that allows for professional fulfillment in a healthy context and in balance with one's personal life.


Doing meaningful work that makes you proud.

In our opinion, the efforts invested in improving working conditions at Mirego are futile if members of our team do not take pride in the work they accomplish every day. At Mirego, people usually take pride when three conditions are met.

We take pride when we work on a meaningful project that has a mission that inspires us. Something magical happens when we feel like we are contributing to something greater than ourselves. Overnight, problems give way to opportunities. Challenges become more easily overcome. Our energy level suddenly seems inexhaustible. A person driven by the conviction that they are actively contributing to the achievement of a goal can move mountains and break down all the doors that stand in their way if we ask them to. It is imperative that the clients we choose to work with share the ambition we have every day to build useful things that have a positive impact on people's lives. It is also crucial when a team starts a project that they understand why the project is important, what problems it is trying to solve, and what goals it is trying to achieve. Nobody likes to pedal in butter. Everyone likes to feel like they are making progress.

We take pride in having autonomy. Our team is filled with passionate, talented people who are all driven to constantly push the limits. The best way to get the most out of these people is to give them clear goals and trust them, plain and simple. Trying to control and predict everything kills the creativity and motivation of the best among us. People over process, whenever possible.

Finally, we believe that people take pride when they have challenges that meet their expectations and can accomplish the best work of their lives every day. Our growth allows us to constantly seek out crazier and more ambitious projects for our team. In return, it is essential that each of us shows listening and empathy for each other. Be aware of what drives your colleagues. Seek to understand what their aspirations are. Sometimes, a detail can turn a repetitive task into a new, inspiring challenge. And above all, never settle for building the ordinary. By ensuring that our constant goal is to build the best products and offer the best service in the world, you also ensure that all the colleagues around you come to work with a smile and a knife between their teeth.


That allows for professional fulfillment.

In too many organizations, professional fulfillment means becoming someone else's boss and slowly but surely moving away from our passion and what drives us. Leading a team can indeed be an interesting challenge that fuels the pride of some people, and the best place to work allows for such opportunities for those who want to seize them. But it should not be the only path offered to those who aspire to more.

At Mirego, we value the constant development of expertise because most of us are fortunate enough to be in love with our work. Professional fulfillment for us also means learning every day, mastering new talents, acquiring new skills, and practicing our craft at unimaginable levels.

In our opinion, the best place to work is where one learns the most, but also where people who have chosen this path are adequately rewarded. The world and our professions are evolving so quickly. We believe that the best place to work should also have the mission of being the best place to learn.


In a context that allows for a balance between one's professional and personal life that suits them.

"Work hard. Play hard." These words have been part of Mirego's folklore for as long as anyone can remember. Being intense, constantly striving to be the best at what we do, and having an insatiable thirst for performance are all part of Mirego's culture. Our team members value effort because it contributes to the sense of pride we feel every day.

However, what we value even more are smart ways of doing it. In our opinion, working day and night without any balance or other passions is one of the stupidest things a member of our team can do. No one is productive for 16 hours a day for very long.

At Mirego, we are all convinced that work is an essential part of a rich and fulfilling life, but at the end of the day, we believe that what we are left with are the people who are important to us, the precious moments we have spent with them, the experiences we have had, and the impact we have managed to have on the world. Both are equally important, and the best place to work allows people to achieve their goals in all these pillar aspects, based on their own priorities.

For some, balance means having a really flexible schedule that allows a mother or father to leave at 3 in the afternoon to pick up their children earlier and spend quality family time. For others, it's being able to go to the gym or practice a sport in the middle of the day. Sometimes, balance means taking a break, opening a book, and taking the time to recharge. It can also mean staying at home when our heart isn't in it or when a loved one needs us, without having to count sick days. The right balance for some is to work very long hours because their passion is so strong that it allows them to accomplish things and makes them feel like they are never actually working.

In our opinion, balance is a question of individuality and is unique to each person. That's what's important. The best place to work respects people's choices and offers them the tools and flexibility to live a rich life that allows them to achieve both professional and personal fulfillment. The best place to work allows people to work there for the long term because it offers the necessary flexibility to live a life worth living.



It's your turn.

Our goal is to build the best place to work, in order to attract and build the best team, to create the world's best products, to attract increasingly important projects in order to have an even greater impact, and ultimately to improve the lives of a billion people and build a better world. This is what we want to achieve and our plan to do it.

However, how we will accomplish this belongs to each member of our team. Our ambitions are great and the challenges we must overcome to achieve them are no less so. The contribution and alignment of each and every one of us to these objectives is essential. Each of you must stand up and take your place. Each of you must ensure that your voice is heard. Each of you must hold this mission dear and demonstrate it in every action you take. And if things are not working as you believe they should, each of you has the responsibility to correct them. Don't be one of those people who always blame others. Don't be one of those people who criticize the process. Don't be one of those people who hold a grudge against the universe. Take matters into your own hands. Be creative. Make sure that every second you work contributes to the accomplishment of this mission: to build the best team, the best place to work, and a better world.

Despite its subjectivity, "better" is the best word to describe who we are because it describes, in just 6 letters, the magnitude of all our ambitions, the impact we want to have in the world, and the objectives we have set for ourselves.

Every morning, wake up with the goal of accomplishing the best work of your life. And do it until you feel that you have reached a point where it has become impossible to improve. Then start again. Because becoming the best is not the goal. It is the pursuit of becoming the best that is.

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