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Learning Investments
Introduction
What learning investments do we back?
What's the approval process for a learning investment?
What's the financing process for a learning investment?
How should a Spooner approach investing time in learning given their busy schedule?
Conclusion

Introduction
The more a Spooner learns, the greater their chances of achieving and sustaining excellence in theirposition, which is key to the company’s success. In addition, it's fulfilling for a Spooner to feel that they're
evolving and improving, delivering impact at an increasing rate. And helping each Spooner to be as
fulfilled as possible is part of our mission as a company. Therefore, Spooner learning must always be ahigh priority for all involved.
A lot of learning occurs naturally in the course of business as a Spooner faces novel challenges andcollaborates with skilled colleagues. Still, by making investments specifically aimed at learning, theSpooner can develop even more rapidly. As such, Bending Spoons is delighted to help propel Spooner
growth by backing a variety of learning investments. This backing may come in the form of time, capital,or both.
Each Spooner can make their learning investment decisions autonomously. No approvals are needed,though the Spooner should be mindful about using the company’s resources efficiently. We also ask theircolleagues (particularly their function leads) to enthusiastically support them as they invest in learning.

What learning investments do we back?
There are precious few limitations when it comes to the types of learning investments we back.
Suitable options include books, courses, workshops, and lessons. Options also include taking time offother work activities to explore a technology or practice a skill. However, we don’t back full university
degrees: Regardless of how relevant the degree is, the time and capital investment is simply too highrelative to the probable benefits for the company.

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Before pulling the trigger on a learning investment, we ask the Spooner to consider whether it’s anefficient use of the company’s resources. It’s not necessary to perform a complex multifactorial regressionanalysis. Simply, the Spooner should ask themselves if, on the whole, the investment is likely toenhance their impact here by more than it costs (considering both time and capital). If they feel theanswer is yes, then it probably benefits both the Spooner and Bending Spoons and they should go aheadwith it.
For example, it can be an efficient use of the company’s resources for a product designer to attend anexpensive online course on mobile UX best practices led by established experts in the field. The learnings
will be directly applicable to the Spooner’s work, positively impacting the company while progressing theSpooner’s development. In short, the course has a high probability of yielding a healthy return on
investment over time.
A learning investment can still be an efficient use of resources even when it does not enhance theSpooner’s skills in ways that appear directly useful to Bending Spoons. Take the case of a software
engineer who wants to spend three work days exploring a new software architecture paradigm. Even if
Bending Spoons has no plans to leverage this paradigm, it’s probably still an efficient investment if theSpooner honestly believes the exploration will fire up their curiosity and creativity, and reaffirm theirmotivation to achieve and sustain excellence in their position. Such an outcome benefits both the Spoonerand Bending Spoons in the long run. (By contrast, it’s not credible that taking piano lessons would nourish
this Spooner’s passion for software engineering—they’ll need to learn the piano on their own time anddime.)
Ultimately, we leave the responsibility for determining whether the learning investment is an efficientuse of the company’s resources up to the Spooner, trusting them to be reasonable and act in good faith.
If a Spooner would like a second opinion on a potential learning investment, they’re welcome to talk totheir direct function lead, who can escalate the matter if useful. It’s wise for the Spooner to ask their lead if
the investment involved is unusually expensive in terms of either time or capital.

What's the approval process for a learning investment?
There's no approval process. We encourage each Spooner to make their learning investment decisions
autonomously.
We periodically audit a sample of learning investments with regard to time and capital. In the process,we might ask a Spooner for clarification as to why they pursued a particular investment. If a learning____________________________________________________________________________________________________

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investment appears to be wasteful, we'll give the Spooner constructive feedback about their use of thecompany's resources. Barring cases of fraudulent behavior, that’s the end of the matter.
When a Spooner makes a learning investment that turns out to be particularly amazing or awful, weencourage them to inform the relevant colleagues (including People Operations and the Spooner’s tier-2function lead). This helps maximize the value that Spooners and Bending Spoons get out of theexperience: If the investment was amazing, then it’s our priority to repeat it in the future for as many
relevant Spooners as possible. If it was awful, we’d like to prevent others from making the sameinvestment. For help in identifying the best Slack channel to spread the word about a noteworthy learninginvestment, the Spooner is welcome to ask their direct function lead.
No Spooner will be penalized or made to feel guilty if a learning investment they make in good faithends up being an inefficient use of time or capital.

What's the financing process for a learning investment?
For accounting reasons, it's best if Bending Spoons pays for a learning investment directly. TheSpooner should open a ticket on #afl-requests with a link to the good or service they’re requesting bebought for them. If the product is available on Amazon, such as a physical book, the Spooner should use
their Bending Spoons Amazon account and make the purchase themselves. There are some products thatBending Spoons may not be able to pay for directly. In these cases, the Spooner should pay for theproduct up front, then request a reimbursement (also via #afl-requests). A typical example is anaudiobook: The Spooner might prefer that it gets added to their personal library via their existing Apple
Books or Audible account (or via a similar service). As such, it may be better for them to use the sameaccount to make the purchase.

How should a Spooner approach investing time inlearning given their busy schedule?
It might seem sensible for the company to implement rules concerning how much time a Spooner caninvest in dedicated learning activities, and when they’re allowed to do so. However, on reflection, suchdecisions are best left up to the individual Spooner. Giving Spooners maximum flexibility is appropriate
in light of their talent and integrity, the differences in their positions, needs, and preferences, and theunpredictable nature of their workload. This approach is also consistent with our company culture offreedom and responsibility.

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Still, a Spooner might be hesitant about carving out time to invest in their learning. After all, their position isdemanding, and their colleagues are relying on them to deliver promptly. But when a Spooner isthoughtful and efficient in making a learning investment, the benefits should also spread to their team andBending Spoons at large. That's why we ask every Spooner not only to prioritize their own learning, butto support their colleagues as they invest in their learning too. This is true even if it causes theoccasional, painful delay on a deliverable. In any case, the Spooner in question should be sure tocoordinate with the relevant colleagues to minimize disruption.
Function leads have a key role in fostering learning. It starts with encouraging Spooners to makeabundant learning investments—particularly the Spooners who seem hesitant about doing so. They should
also drive the roll-out to all relevant Spooners of any learning investment that proves fantastic. Lastly,
where suitable, they should drive the production and roll-out to relevant Spooners of scalable teachingmaterials, such as documents, presentations, exercises, and courses.

Conclusion
An eagerness to learn is central to what makes a great Spooner. At Bending Spoons, we applaud thisdesire and we go above and beyond to back it with company time and capital. Doing so benefits boththe Spooner and Bending Spoons in the long run: When an individual improves their skills or nourishes
their passion for their role, it’s likely to positively impact the company while progressing the individual’sdevelopment. Furthermore, evolving and improving promote Spooner fulfillment, which is a priority for
Bending Spoons as a company.
We invite Spooners to be in the driver's seat, autonomously choosing how to use the company'sresources to propel their learning. In keeping with our commitment to freedom and responsibility, weapply only the bare minimum of checks and controls, placing our trust in Spooners to make wise decisions.
All Spooners (and especially function leads) should encourage and support their colleagues as they invest
in learning.

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