Operating Principles, Chapter 2

It’s been about three years since Arcadia opened its doors. We’ve sorted through many challenges, tried out a symphony of operational and scientific ideas, and published a lot of results and tools that we’re proud of. And, unsurprisingly, our operating principles have evolved.

We are at a new inflection point as a company. In short, we have more focus. We’ve moved past our initial stage of maximizing random walks to explore a greater space of possibilities. We are now pushing more intensely on fewer goals that we have much higher conviction about. 

More than ever, we are determined to get some hard things done. As a result, we are updating our original operating principles to the ones below, which better reflect what defines our team today. 

1. We act with agency.

We are ambitious, self-driven individuals who take control of our fates. We bias towards immediate problem-solving rather than finger-pointing. There’s a high degree of trust and autonomy amongst Arcadians, and we expect exceptional results and accountability in return.

2. We adapt and evolve.

We are scientists who believe in taking an iterative, rational approach to all we do. We pride ourselves on being curious, experimental, nimble, and even admitting when we’re wrong. We often repeat the mantra: data, not drama.

3. We move with urgency.

We are working on what we believe is the most important effort in the world we could be contributing to. We move quickly, refusing to waste our privileged, time-boxed opportunity to make a meaningful, scalable impact. We won’t wait for others to do what we think is right.

4. We build for tomorrow.

Our actions today can shape the future. We lean towards envisioning new realities that we can help build anew, as opposed to iterating on existing problems or systems that need a reboot. We want to shift the Overton window (aka what people think is “normal” or acceptable).

If our operating principles resonate, check out our latest job opportunities and FAQ page. We are more excited than ever about where we’re headed. There’s some fun but tough work ahead, and we want the most talented, mission-oriented team to tackle this with. After all, science is worth it.