A Company Creed That Stopped Me in My Tracks

Every so often, you stumble across something that makes you pause. Not because it tells you something new, but because it puts into words something you’ve felt for a long time.

Recently, while researching a role I was considering applying for, I came across the Automattic Creed. Automattic is the company behind WordPress, WooCommerce, Tumblr and several other products used by millions of people around the world.

What caught my attention wasn’t the technology. It was the values.

As I read through the creed, I found myself nodding along and thinking, “Yes. Exactly.”

One statement in particular resonated deeply:

“I will never stop learning.”

At 59 years old, I’ve lived and worked in Zimbabwe, the United Kingdom and now Sweden. I’ve worked in legal services, education, operations, HR, customer support, entrepreneurship and community care. Yet one thing has remained constant: curiosity. Moving to Sweden in my fifties meant becoming a beginner again. I learned Swedish as an adult, studied for qualifications, embraced new technology and adapted to an entirely different way of life.

If anything, I’ve become more convinced that learning isn’t something we do when we’re young. It’s something we do if we want to keep growing.

Another line that struck me was:

“I won’t just work on things that are assigned to me.”

Looking back over my career, some of the most meaningful contributions I’ve made were never formally part of my job description. Whether improving processes, solving problems, supporting colleagues or simply stepping in when something needed doing, I’ve always found satisfaction in taking ownership rather than waiting for instructions.

I also smiled when I read:

“I will never pass up an opportunity to help out a colleague.”

For me, work has always been about people. The systems, projects, budgets and processes matter, but ultimately they exist to support us human beings. Some of my proudest moments have involved helping others succeed, whether supporting school leaders, business owners, clients, colleagues or even members of my local community.

Perhaps the line that resonated most was this:

“I am in a marathon, not a sprint.”

Life has taught me that progress rarely happens overnight.

Building a career, moving countries, learning a new language, starting a business, recovering from setbacks and adapting to change all require patience and persistence. Success is often less about speed and more about continuing to put one foot in front of the other.

The final line of the creed says:

“Given time, there is no problem that is insurmountable.”

I don’t know if that’s always literally true, but I do know that some of the greatest achievements in my life have come from refusing to give up when something seemed difficult or even impossible. The creed isn’t remarkable because it’s about business.

It’s remarkable because it’s about mindset. And sometimes, the right words arrive at exactly the right moment to remind us who we are and how we want to show up in the world.

Have you ever come across a quote, article or set of values that felt as though it had been written just for you?

I just have.

Credit: The Automattic Creed