David Hieatt's Blog

Writing clarifies your thinking.

David Hieatt -


Soon after I wrote this on my office wall, I left my company.

A decade later, I moved my new company into the same building.

To my surprise, the words were still there. This is what they said.

The things the last 10 years have taught me.

  1. If we can’t do the basics amazingly well, nothing else will matter.
  2. Never try to be cool. Only try to be good.
  3. Be honest. People trust you when you tell the truth.
  4. Be brave with your ideas. And fight like a brave to make them happen.
  5. Understand everything we do has some negative impact on the environment. But that shouldn’t stop us from trying to be as low impact as we can.
  6. Hire people with passion and who care. We can’t put the fire in someone’s belly. Only they can do that.
  7. Making this a fun place to work in shouldn’t be confused with being an easy place to work in. Trying to be better than other guys is never easy.
  8. If we make a promise, we have to keep a promise. If events prevent us from keeping that promise, be quick to tell the other person.
  9. We all work for this company, but make sure the company works for you.
  10. Try stuff. Make mistakes. This is how we learn.
  11. We are not a normal company. Our aim is to make people think as well as buy.
  12. A strong team will achieve more than a team of strong individuals ever will.
  13. We want to be great at what we do. Treat average as an enemy. Be tough on it.
  14. Be positive. Believe in your ability to do amazing things.
  15. Treat people with the same respect that they pay you. Remember, flowers bloom in the sunshine.
  16. Have fun. Life is over in the blink of an eye. Ask my dad.
  17. It’s OK to disagree on stuff. That’s how great stuff happens.
  18. We are using this business to try and change the things we care about. That doesn’t make us perfect. But it does mean we are doing something. Dick Dastardly had a point.
  19. Wrong thinking is often right.
  20. We have a point of view. Don’t expect everyone to agree with it.
  21. Quality is many things, not just how well you make something.
  22. Give something back. It doesn’t have to be money like the earth tax that we do. It can be more valuable. Your time.
  23. Do is a powerful word. A good friend told me that.
  24. Play is good. Equally, work is good too.
  25. Stay hungry. Wanting to improve is a never-ending journey.
  26. Find your love. And do it. Like they say, life is short.