Communication
OCV operates in an all-remote environment. Our meeting and communication standards are designed to effectively manage time-zone differences and calendar availability. We communicate in accordance with our values by communicating openly and documenting discussions.
General availability (GA)
General Availability (GA) indicates suitable hours for scheduling meetings. This doesn't require team members to be available and online during this entire window. Team members may have personal obligations and appointments during the day. We trust our team to manage their time independently while meeting business objectives.
To promote a healthy and sustainable work environment, we ask our team & external partners to adhere to our GA guidelines and only request meetings within an individual's GA window.
GA scheduling exceptions
Scheduling a meeting outside of someone’s GA window may be unavoidable in the following exception cases:
Recurring meetings at 8:00 AM local time when necessary, based on General Partner calendar availability. Meetings before 8:00 AM local time should be limited (2-3 times per month maximum) and align with GP calendar availability.
For time-sensitive projects, you may request meetings outside standard hours. There's no obligation to accept these requests, which should be reserved for critical business needs only.
Generally, team members are not expected to attend meetings outside of GA and the exception cases outlined above. When such situations arise, OCV team members should communicate directly with the meeting organizer.
General Partner (GP) availability
For meetings scheduled around GP availability, ensure that at least one other team member from the same time zone can attend to provide support. It’s fine for team members to set their General Availability hours according to a different time zone to accommodate personal or business needs. Please discuss this with your manager and inform the broader team.
Slack
Slack is the primary internal communications channel. Be mindful of teammates’ time zones when sending notes on messaging platforms. There are no expectations to respond to messages sent outside of your general availability window.
Please try to minimize DMs during off-hours. Suggested alternatives to off-hour DMs:
Add notes to 1:1 docs to review later
Schedule the message to be sent the following business day
Email
Slack Connect channels
For shared, real-time communication between OCV and OCV companies, create Slack Connect channels as needed. Only the company founders are allowed in the shared channel. Company channels are formatted “ocv-companyname”
For external collaborators such as consultants, advisors, or contractors, do not issue an OCV email address. Instead, send Slack invitations for the designated channel(s) to their personal or company email.
Cell phone & text messages
We currently use a virtual telephone service for our communication. All new OCV team members are given a virtual telephone number to make and receive calls and texts during onboarding.
Using personal cell phones for contact (text messaging or calls) should be discussed with your manager. Text messages to cell phone numbers should be limited to urgent needs only and/or when necessary with an external audience.
Short-hand terms
We operate in a fast-paced environment. To streamline communication, we've developed common terminology to quickly set expectations. While we use these shorthand terms to work efficiently toward our goals, they're not meant to replace mutual respect and active listening. Always assume positive intent. Here are the abbreviations we use in written communication:
FYA: “For Your Attention.” For delegating to a DRI. DRI can decide on the next steps and can request greater context as needed.
FYI: “For Your Information.” No action items required.
ATIH: “All the Information I Have”. There’s nothing more beyond what’s included in this message (and any forwards below) that can be provided. Sender would appreciate the recipient’s resourcefulness in obtaining any missing information to accomplish the requested task.
P1: This is a high-priority activity/project. May require bumping other existing TODOs to accomplish this. General Partner requests should automatically take on P1 status unless a specific deliverable deadline is mutually agreed upon.
NAP: "Not a priority." Generally applies to activities that do not directly contribute to our imminent quarterly goals. Signals a quick way to wrap up a discussion so we can focus on P1 and other priority activities required to meet goals and drive growth.
LCL: “Let’s chat live.” A topic is best addressed in a live conversation to streamline communication and provide space for context.
NCB: “No Circleback.” Used to encourage open dialogue and protect privacy.
Optional: Someone who is invited to shadow a meeting, but does not schedule the meeting around their availability.
Attendee: Someone’s presence is required in a meeting. Do account for their availability in scheduling.
Sensitive Information
OCV employees are responsible for protecting sensitive information throughout its entire lifecycle—from creation and use to storage and disposal.
Sensitive information includes, but is not limited to, portfolio company information, financial data, personal identifiable information (PII), employee records, and confidential communications. Sensitive information should never be discussed in public spaces or transmitted through unsecured channels. When working remotely, take extra precautions to ensure home networks are secure.
Digital files should be securely stored if they need to be stored at all, and access should only be granted to individuals on a “need-to-know” basis. Physical documents should be kept in locked storage when not in use and shredded when no longer needed. Employees should control the audience receiving the information and use the proper communication channels for sharing sensitive information - verify recipients before transmitting data, and flag any security incidents immediately.
Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
PII is any data that can be used to identify, contact, or locate a specific individual, either alone or when combined with other information. Common examples of PII include full names, Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, passport information, email addresses, phone numbers, home addresses, date of birth, financial account numbers, credit card information, medical records, and IP addresses.
PII should rarely be uploaded to Google Drive, as company drives are often shared with groups via email distribution. Instead, the transmission of PII should be done via a secure data link or other controlled channels of communication if it is required.
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