Time flies right?
Last month we celebrated, in pretty low-key fashion, our 5 year anniversary as a company. On January 16th, 2015 We Write Code was founded. I was parked in the bullpen at Gravitate, with nothing more than hope, a dream, and a network of people.
I often get asked what led me to the idea of creating We Write Code. Although the answer is pretty simple, it took me many years to realize it. I have been super fortunate to have experienced the corporate life and the marketing agency life – each for a number of years. I then had the opportunity to build a startup, which taught me an amazing number of new lessons. My experiences with all three of those made it clear that I would be passionate about creating a custom software agency.
So I did. I got shit done. But I have not done it alone.
It has been a crazy five years, and we have definitely seen our ups and downs. As this year marks our 5-year anniversary, we thought we would take an opportunity to reflect on some of our proudest milestones.
As is true with most companies, on day one it was just me. I locked in a desk at Gravitate 1.0. Through that initial environment and community, I was able to secure my first significant client. At that point I knew that the business I was forming needed to be something more.
Gravitate was an amazing kick-off for We Write Code. The combination of the community there and my 20-year network led to many new opportunities. However, I knew that in order to create an environment that would foster continued success, I needed to take action to begin the process of building and hiring a team.
The “We” part of We Write Code needed to become a reality. We needed to be WE!
The Big Move
A notable milestone for We Write Code was in 2018. As much value as we had gotten out of being a part of the Gravitate community, it was time to find a place of our own. We found an amazing space in the East Village and pulled the trigger on our move in May. After we were all moved, in we held an open house and the community really took the opportunity to make us feel welcomed.
It was awesome to see the amount of interest and conversation that we were causing, and we continue to be overwhelmed with the local support shown. We are constantly looking for opportunities to give back and to further our neighborhood interactions. With the added support of a very involved and welcoming community, we are grateful to be able to thrive in Des Moines and throughout Iowa as a whole.
Cultivating Skillsets
Fasting forward to today – February 2020. We Write Code has grown to a team of 15 uniquely skilled individuals. We have had the chance to work with a wide range of clients. We have completed a variety of projects working with companies producing billions in revenue, all the way to start-ups who are powered by a hope and a dream of success.
As I reflect on positives over the years, recognizing growth within the organization through people who have been with us since the early days really stands out. Seeing individual growth has been huge. Watching team members start out at the beginning of their career and seeing how they have grown both personally and professionally has been one of the best highlights of the last 5 years.
Another exciting highlight to reflect on is that we have started to see ourselves become experts in particular industries. Over the years we have built quite a repertoire of projects with clients in the environmental services, agriculture technology industry, and financial technology industry.
Humble Culture Brag
As challenging as it is to do in the software world, we have consistently worked as an organization to focus on fostering an environment and culture that we are proud of. Prioritizing personal growth, open communication, equality, diversity, and inclusion is something that we take great pride in. Along with being proud of these values throughout the organization, we also make it a point to maintain an environment that encourages the team to have fun every day.
Looking to the Future
I am extremely proud that we are building something people are aware of – not just a chamber of our own heads. It really brings to light that this organization has become way more than a single person.
In terms of general goals, I would love to see consistent growth throughout the business in an organic way. I hope to see our team continue to take on challenging projects with interesting clients.
In the next 5 years, we will continue building on the infrastructure of positives that we have created.
Speaking of… You know we’re hiring, right? 🙂