Why this document exists

If you're new to pubGENIUS, you may find our working style different from what you've experienced before. We've created this guide because we've noticed that new team members sometimes wait for direction, clarification, or permission — and at pubGENIUS, that's not how we operate.

We are a globally remote, self-managed organization. From the very beginning across our team of 25, we've built a culture where everyone is expected to be proactive, self-driven, and autonomous in their work.

The core expectation: don't wait

Our CEO has established one fundamental principle from day one: Never wait for someone else to give you direction.

What this means in practice

You are expected to:

• Take initiative on projects and improvements within your domain

• Make decisions about your work, schedule, and approach independently

• Ask questions proactively when you need information

• Communicate actively - reach out, don't wait to be reached

• Experiment and implement ideas without needing permission for everything

• Come with initiatives related to the work you're doing

You are NOT expected to:

• Wait for your PM or CEO to tell you what to do next

• Ask permission before taking action in your area of responsibility

• Wait for the "perfect" answer before moving forward

• Sit idle if something is unclear - chase down the clarity you need

How decisions actually work

Everyone at pubGENIUS - from Software Engineers to HR to Business Development has autonomy over their work.

Real Examples

• HR: Makes decisions about recruitment processes, benefits, policies. If implementing something new, they initiate it and inform the CEO: "I'm going to experiment with this approach."

• Product Managers: Decide on project direction, priorities, and execution. They don't wait for approval on every decision.

• Engineers: Determine technical approaches, suggest process improvements, identify and solve problems independently.

The Pattern

Notice the pattern? It's inform and act, not ask and wait.

When you want to implement something:

1. Make the decision

2. Talk to relevant stakeholders (CEO, team members) to inform them

3. Move forward

You're not asking for permission - you're exercising your judgment and keeping others informed.

Working remotely and globally

Being remote amplifies the need for self-management. We coordinate across time zones through:

• Async communication as default - don't wait for someone to be online

• Collaboration hours - dedicated time for real-time work when needed

• Tools - Notion (documentation), Slack (communication), Linear (project management)

The remote reality

In a traditional office, you might catch someone at their desk for quick clarification. Remote work doesn't allow that luxury. You need to:

• Document your decisions and thinking

• Ask clear, specific questions

• Move forward with reasonable assumptions rather than being blocked

• Over-communicate your progress and blockers

The challenge we face

Here's what we've observed: Many new team members struggle with this level of autonomy. They're used to:

• Having managers tell them what to do

• Waiting for someone to assign tasks

• Seeking approval before acting

• Being reactive rather than proactive

This creates problems:

• Work stalls while people wait

• Opportunities are missed because no one took initiative

• Communication gaps emerge when people don't assertively reach out

• The team's momentum slows

Who thrives here

People who succeed at pubGENIUS:

• Take ownership of their domain completely

• Ask questions constantly - they're curious and don't let ambiguity stop them

• Communicate assertively - they reach out, they don't wait to be reached

• Are comfortable with uncertainty - they make reasonable decisions with incomplete information

• Learn and adapt quickly - they identify problems and solve them

Who struggles here

We've noticed many new joiners particularly struggle with this style initially. If you:

• Prefer clear, detailed specifications before starting

• Want explicit approval for every decision

• Feel uncomfortable making calls without consensus

• Wait for others to set direction

... you'll need to actively push yourself out of this comfort zone to thrive here.

Practical Guidelines

Meetings

• Only when needed - we don't have meetings for the sake of meetings

• Quick huddles when async isn't sufficient

• Come prepared with what you need to accomplish

Communication

• Default to async (Slack)

• Be assertive - don't wait for responses to unblock yourself

• Over communicate your thinking and decisions

Conflict & Problems

• Address directly with the people involved

• Discuss what happened and find solutions together

• Don't escalate unnecessarily - handle at the lowest level possible

Projects & Tasks

• You own your work end-to-end

• Coordinate with PMs, but don't wait for them to manage you

• If you see something that needs doing, do it or initiate it

The Mindset Shift

Moving from a traditional organization to pubGENIUS requires a fundamental mindset shift:

What Success Looks Like

After your first few months at pubGENIUS, you should:

• Feel comfortable making decisions in your domain

• Regularly come with initiatives and improvements

• Communicate proactively with your team

• Rarely feel "stuck" waiting for others

• Have experimented with new approaches in your work

• Feel ownership over outcomes, not just tasks

Questions to Ask Yourself Daily

• "What can I move forward on today without waiting?"

• "What questions do I need answered, and who can I ask right now?"

• "What improvements can I initiate in my area?"

• "What am I waiting for that I could actually just decide?"

Final Thoughts

This working style isn't for everyone, and that's okay. It requires high levels of self-motivation, comfort with ambiguity, and willingness to take responsibility for outcomes.

But if you thrive on autonomy, hate bureaucracy, and want to work somewhere that trusts you to figure things out - pubGENIUS might be exactly where you belong.

🔑 The key: Don't wait. Ask. Initiate. Decide. Move forward.