© Bending Spoons S.p.A. All rights reserved.

A Great Spooner
Introduction
The qualities of a great Spooner
Extreme ownershipGood judgment
Relentless simplification
Pragmatism and sense of urgency
Deep knowledge
Selfless team-play
Positive energy
Endless invention
Sky-high standards
Effective coaching
Conclusion

Introduction
With this document, we detail the qualities that make for a great Spooner. Nobody can embody all of thesequalities flawlessly—each one of us falls short of the ideal in one way or another, and that’s OK. Still, wehope that by reading—and re-reading—what follows, a Spooner is inspired to aim higher than ever andwork tirelessly toward becoming the very best version of themselves.
We recommend that a Spooner takes full responsibility for their own growth and that they approach it witha can-do attitude, believing they’re capable of achieving anything they set their mind to. To maximize theirchances of success, a Spooner should make a firm commitment to put in the necessary effort, learn fromothers, and stick at it with discipline over the long term.
Lastly, we hope this document—and, most importantly, the example of a Spooner striving every day toembody the qualities it describes—helps us refine and strengthen our company culture, with the ambitionof making it ever more distinctive and powerful.
The qualities we list below aren’t sorted in any particular order.

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The qualities of a great Spooner
Extreme ownership
A great Spooner feels profoundly responsible for their work, their team, and the company at large, andacts accordingly. They continually look for ways to make a positive impact on Bending Spoons with aholistic, long-term view. They don’t wait to be told what to do, but rather approach every day with anentrepreneurial outlook, proactively spotting and seizing opportunities. They understand the relevant
objectives, and keep them top of mind at all times. They get their hands dirty. They’re tenacious in the faceof a challenge. They’re a thorough finisher: While they’re quick to abandon an unpromising project or task,
they don’t let a high-priority one fall through the cracks or remain incomplete, instead making sure it’ssuitably taken care of (including when that involves pushing other stakeholders).
This is the trait upon which a Spooner’s greatness depends the most.

Good judgment
A great Spooner makes well-informed, logically sharp, and radically rational decisions, optimizing for thewhole company and for the long term. Rather than mindlessly jumping into execution mode, they diligently
prioritize and architect their efforts first. Then, they stay focused on the identified priorities, making prompt
adjustments should the boundary conditions change. Far from being overly academic, they root theirthinking firmly in reality. They weigh rewards and risks appropriately. They pay keen attention to thedetails, yet they never lose sight of the big picture. They speak up, even when it’s tough to do so. They
support the best idea, not their idea. While they value consensus, they don’t compromise on making theright decision just to keep the peace. They assess their decisions in retrospect and update their priors as aconsequence.

Relentless simplification
A great Spooner fights unnecessary complexity, including by placing the burden of proof on those in favorof adding any and by seeking to eliminate that which already exists (no matter when and by whom it wasintroduced). Their resolute pursuit of simplicity spans the gamut of what we do at Bending Spoons, be itwith a piece of software, a policy, a process, a product, a team, or something else entirely.

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Pragmatism and sense of urgency
With each project and task, a great Spooner identifies and follows the approach that supports making animpact at the highest possible rate—whether that approach is scrappy, pristine, or somewhere in between.
Rather than being hasty, simplistic, or short-term oriented, they’re thoughtful and keep a holistic, long-termview, yet they push things forward with pace and a healthy dose of impatience. When in doubt as to theappropriate balance between speed and sophistication, they favor the former.

Deep knowledge
A great Spooner possesses the detailed, extensive knowledge they need to be an effective, hands-oncontributor in their position and similar ones. They identify areas where they lack critical knowledge, thenthey acquire it rapidly—all without being prompted.

Selfless team-play
A great Spooner acts with the company’s best interests at heart. They’re an altruistic team member. Whereuseful, they eagerly carry out projects and tasks they find unappealing and pick up skills they wouldn’t
otherwise be interested in acquiring. They’re sensitive to the needs of their colleagues and generous in
helping out. They keep the relevant individuals informed of their objectives and progress. They’re honestand transparent. They’re reliable. After voicing their disagreement with a decision, they set theirskepticism aside and execute with full commitment.

Positive energy
A great Spooner enhances the morale of those around them. While not being blindly optimistic, they tend
to see the bright side of things. They confront adversity with resilience, a growth mindset, and a smile on
their face. They receive all feedback with gratitude. They’re informal and approachable. They never act
superior or entitled. They don’t act defensively, complain unconstructively, gossip, or make disrespectfulcomments.

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Endless invention
A great Spooner questions the status quo. They imagine how things could be, unconstrained by howthings are. They foster a creative, think-big environment. They strike a good balance between looking for
10x opportunities while relentlessly seeking incremental improvement.

Sky-high standards
A great Spooner sets and upholds exceedingly high standards. They hold themselves and their colleagues
accountable for meeting these standards—for example, they’re unequivocally intolerant of a lack ofambition or effort, and don’t accept a substandard contribution just to avoid a difficult conversation. They
see to it that a shortcoming—be it their own or someone else’s—is overcome as quickly as possible.

Effective coaching
A great Spooner prioritizes helping their colleagues improve on all of the above. They personalize theircoaching style depending on the specifics of the colleague, project, and task. They provide actionable,
radically candid, and high-quality feedback—promptly and often. They’re an active, demanding, andsupportive teacher. They document knowledge and define guidelines where it’s efficient to do so.

Conclusion
We’ve spent a lot of time identifying and describing the qualities that contribute to being a great Spooner.
When it comes to these qualities, we don’t expect perfection across the board—every individual has theirown strong and not-so-strong suits, and progress inevitably comes more easily with some than withothers. Still, a Spooner who makes a deliberate effort to develop along the dimensions outlined above isdestined to, over time, increase their impactfulness. Just as importantly, the more a Spooner strives for
greatness here, the more powerful and distinctive our company culture gets. And the higher our chances
become of succeeding in our ambitions.

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