Values

OCV's five core values are the guiding principles that shape our results-oriented culture. They enable us to align our behaviors and actions with our goals.

1. Boldness

We are opinionated, decisive, and confident. Operating with conviction, openly acknowledging challenges, and unapologetically committing to our model is how we will achieve our vision.

If we’re convinced, we’re committed

VC returns follow a power law where the returns of your number one investment are bigger than all others combined. Which means if we’re convinced a project has commercial potential but have trouble recruiting, we double down instead of giving up. Missing out on a top idea can have a greater negative impact than all of our other work combined.

Be wrong but quick

We accept that we often need to make decisions with imperfect information. We have a high tolerance for experimenting and being wrong with a high expectation for swift course correction.

Be prepared to evangelize

We are turning the venture model on its head and acknowledgingacknowledge there are inherent challenges. We embrace these challenges as creative constraints and believe success will validate our boldness. We are committed to our model and equally responsible for evangelizing the model.

2. Transparency

We operate in a transparent environment, with clear terms and open communication, guided by our public handbook. Developing a culture of shared context is a competitive advantage that enables us to move faster.

Contextual decision-making

We openly share the “why” driving our decisions. We are not a consensus-driven organization. We give decision-making authority to designated, directly responsible individuals (DRIs). DRIs demonstrate respect for their collaborators and peers by proactively providing context for the final decision. This helps us avoid analysis paralysis, removes ambiguity, and empowers project owners to maintain forward momentum.

Documentation

We write things down. We take notes during synchronous meetings and document outcomes and action items. Firm guidance and public process changes are communicated with a handbook link.

The 90% Rule of Scaling

Our documented processes cover >90% of business use cases. We automate repeatable activities as much as possible through technology. Exceptions or edge cases should occur less than 10% of the time. Don't create elaborate processes for edge cases because they should be one-offs and rare. If we’re spending more than 10% of our time solving for edge cases, we need to review and update our documentation.

Open communication

We foster an environment of internal open communication, where we prioritize speed of communication over polished messages. All questions are welcome and valid in the pursuit of clarity and deeper understanding.

We are a small cross-functional team that embraces spinning up and down short-term special-purpose channels. Creating permanent department-specific channels is the antithesis of working openly.

3. Resourcefulness

We think creatively and adapt quickly; iteration drives every decision and action.

Ship the minimum viable change (MVC)

We embrace a minimum viable change mentality. We don't let perfect be the enemy of progress—we ship quickly, learn, and refine. When we see an opportunity to move forward, we take it now rather than waiting for ideal conditions. “Better” offerings should be tracked and planned for delivery after we've shipped an MVC. The “Best” version of our service model is a guidepost for OCV’s long-term vision.

4. Perseverance

We take challenges head-on and do not bat an eye at the hard stuff.

Solutions-oriented

We maintain composure when facing obstacles and channel our energy toward finding answers rather than dwelling on problems. We do hard things because they're worth doing, not despite their difficulty.

Explore unconventional paths

We leverage cross-functional resources and perspectives to solve problems in unexpected ways. We actively explore unusual avenues, experiment with emerging tools and technologies, and encourage curiosity-driven innovation beyond our core work.

5. Inclusion

We acknowledge and embrace differences as a strength and source of innovation. Taking a genuine interest in individual perspectives and experiences helps us find the outliers to achieve our mission.

Challenge our assumptions

We take a genuine interest in understanding people's motivations and thought processes rather than assuming we know them. We recognize that our initial read on someone may miss what makes them exceptional, so we dig deeper and remain open to being surprised by where we find talent and innovation.

Create space for diverse thinking

We allocate time and resources for exploration that may not directly tie to immediate goals. We encourage team members to share interesting ideas and perspectives, and establish clear guidelines for evaluating which ideas to pursue while maintaining openness to unexpected connections and insights.