What does living by core values actually mean
When Mentimeter first started out, there were no rules, says Niklas Ingvar, one of the founders. But he and Johnny Warström, the other founder, quickly discovered that a rule-free approach doesn't work when you want to build a successful business. As Niklas recalls, “We messed up and lost a co-founder and other talented people in the early days.”
Having experienced both types of companies—those with values on the wall and those that actually live by them—Niklas and Johnny decided they wanted to run a value-driven company.
“We wanted to use the company values for something, and that something was to build a productive and happy company, and have fun during work.”
Defining core values: A balancing act
The first four values—include everyone, consultant mindset, be humble and work smart—were defined quite quickly. “Have fun” took a while to figure out. Now, they feel they have a good balance, as the core values create a supportive, yet high performing environment for people to thrive in.
Including everyone: Come as you are, speak your mind and take action as you see best
Niklas knew early on how critical psychological safety is for an innovative company to be successful. “We needed to create a place where people feel that they belong and can be themselves, because otherwise we wouldn’t have any autonomous individuals that can be creative and make decisions.”
Consultant mindset: Finding ways to get the job done
Having previously worked as a management consultant, Niklas is a big fan of the “consultant mindset” core value, which he defines as being able to find ways to solve the right problems to reach your goals. It also means rolling up your sleeves and solving the problems that stop you from moving forward, like ensuring you have the tools you need.
Over the years, this core value has grown to include various things, from defining the most important tasks to acting professionally, communicating well, motivating and engaging people, and managing stakeholders.
Work smart: Choose what's worth your time and effort
Next came “work smart” because Niklas and Johnny saw that aiming always for perfection is neither feasible nor smart. It also means knowing which rules to follow and which to challenge or break. They wanted to achieve a good work-life balance but felt that just writing down those words wouldn’t be much help. Following certain guiding ways of working instead would allow for work-life balance to become a reality, Niklas explains.
It’s about deciding whether to do something fast because it's needed or ensuring high quality because it's important. That is the way to balance work and life. It is also about optimizing and automating things whenever possible.
Be kind and seek to understand
Another important core value is "be humble". Niklas describes encountering people who would tear down others, especially women, and their work, and he absolutely hates this kind of attitude and believes it to be very harmful. He says: “It’s all about being curious and seeking to understand.” Maybe the context of why something is the way it is very different from the current situation. Maybe the tech wasn’t there yet, or the team was stretched thin. Maybe there was a very small budget to work with. It doesn’t mean there is no room for questioning or improvement, but before demanding changes, the Menti team has decided to prioritize trying to understand each other.
Find your fun at work
Niklas says that back in the days when they started, every company that he knew that would state “have fun” as their value, was per definition not fun.
The main goal behind “have fun” is to make work itself more fun and worthwhile. What is fun to you? There are so many different things that having fun can mean, and it is okay to enjoy different things.
Living the Values
From the very beginning with no rules to today’s value-driven approach, Mentimeter has evolved into a place where values are not just words on a wall. They shape how everyone works, interacts, and grows. Together we have created a place where inclusion, smart work, humility, and fun are not just goals but daily practices. And that, as Niklas would say, makes all the difference.
Read more here about what makes work fun for Niklas!
