src=”https://buffer.com/resources/content/images/2022/11/ali-kokab-lhyzTHwXS9o-unsplash–1-.jpg” alt=”Buffer turned 12 today! These are our top stories, memories and lessons.
Today is the 12th anniversary of Buffer. To celebrate, I asked my team members about their most memorable memories, stories, and learnings from the past twelve years at Buffer. I asked them to share a favorite memory or story and answer one question about Buffer and how it has impacted their lives.
Here are their thoughts.
Joel started Buffer in October 2010
Name Joel Gascoigne
Role – CEO, Founder
Bufferversary: October 2010
Joel’s favourite memory(ies).
It has been a long road, so I have far too many memories. These are the three most memorable:
- I was only a few days old when I received my first payment from someone I didn’t know. This was just a few days after my November 2010 launch. This was my first time being paid for a product that I created, rather than for my work as a contractor. It was a completely different feeling. I can still remember jumping around in joy. That was when I realized that Buffer could be something truly significant.
- Rejecting a large acquisition offer in 2014. We are fondly remembered this moment for the reasons that we turned down the offer. We knew Buffer could be bigger than it was, but we also felt a deep connection to our values and the movements that we were part of (remote working and increased transparency). As no one was interested in remote work or the same level of transparency as we did, we knew that our efforts here and the progress we made would be ended if we sold. We felt special and powerful to decide to keep going on our journey due to the positive impact we had.
- We did profit sharing for the first time as a company. We won’t always be able to do this as we will have ups and downs. In 2017, we gave out our first profit share bonus of $300k (12% profit) to the entire 68-person team. It was amazing to see the gratitude of the Buffer team. Also, the transparency around the use of the bonus was incredibly touching. It was at this moment that I realized I wanted the company’s success to benefit everyone, not just me as the founder and key shareholders.
What was something surprising you about Buffer when you first started it?
As we grew, I was surprised at how scaling problems and downtime can be a positive thing for us if we react in the right manner.
We would gain many Buffer fans during downtime. We split up into small teams when we encountered issues. One team focused on solving the problem as quickly as possible and the other focused on customer service and being responsive. These were moments of community building that led to lifelong supporters.
This was my lesson: Ship earlier and more often, be prepared to change gears to crisis mode, and do your best job.
What can you learn from the Buffer approach?
Trusting your team is a key ingredient in achieving success. It’s wise for a team to be free and to trust you when you have created a culture that attracts people and has a mission that motivates them.
There have been many choices made that are focused on trusting and allowing freedom for the team members. This is evident in our decision to become a distributed team for 2012. We don’t keep track of hours worked or where people are working. As a team, we have a clear mission and shared goals. Then we get to work. Another recent example is the 2020 shift to a 4-day work week. We believe we can achieve more with less effort and greater focus. This is how trust and freedom allow us to all have more time for our loved ones and ourselves.
Adam joined Buffer November 2013
Name Adam Farmer
Role Senior Escalations Manager
Team – Customer Advocacy
Adam’s favourite memory
The moment I met the whole team in South Africa is one of my most vivid memories. It was a flood of emotions. Buffer is a real company. This struck me. I was also impressed by the kindness and humanity of the team and how connected I felt to them, even though I had only interacted online. It is difficult to describe it in words, which makes it a terrible memory to share. But that trip, those people and so many other memories are priceless.
What can you learn from the Buffer approach?
It is acceptable to think differently and approach work in a different way. We have come to accept certain things as the “norm” in work. These things might have been valuable in the past and may still be required for success. However, that doesn’t make them good or the right way to approach work today. These things can be reflected upon and challenged curiously.
Dave joined Buffer March 2014
Name by Dave Chapman
Role Senior Customer Advocate
Team – Customer Advocacy
Dave’s favorite memory
I will never forget my first retreat, and the opportunity to meet everyone in New York.
What can you learn from Buffer’s values
Transparency is the key to trust, and it should never be underestimated
Danny joined Buffer May 2015
Name: Danny Mulcahy
Role : Technical Advocate
Team – Customer Advocacy
Danny’s favorite memory
The 2017 retreat in Madrid was my absolute favorite Buffer memory. After the epic team dinner the night before, we each had a day off to pick the group activity that we wanted.
We all decided to go to a sports pitch to experience bubble football. It was one of the most fun Buffer days. It was the best day of my life and a great team bonding experience.
We always have a lot of fun at team retreats and meetups, but this memory is one that we cherish fondly.
What can you learn from the Buffer approach?
It’s been an amazing seven-year journey at Buffer.
One thing that sticks out to me is the fact that even though we were losing money, we never lost sight of our values.
We had to lay off 10% our workforce in 2016. It was a difficult and painful experience, but we remained true to our transparency values and made sure to share the news with our community about how it happened. We did that with a lot of courage and vulnerability so other start-ups can learn from our mistakes.
In 2020, I believe we perfected our “Act Beyond Yourself” value. We wanted to help others during the global pandemic. So we worked quickly together to create a COVID-19 initiative. Customers who had been affected by COVID closures could continue to use their Buffer accounts for free for three months. Although this was a benefit for our customers, it was also a cost for us. However, we decided to do the right thing by implementing it.
It was something that I was proud to have been a part. We were providing assistance when it was needed. This shows that you can have a business with a different path and still do the right things to help others.
Hailley joined Buffer February 2016
Name – Hailley Griffis
Role Head of Communications & Content
Team Marketing
Hailley’s favourite memory
Two members of the Marketing team sent a note to the entire team on April Fool’s Day. It stated that Marketing now operates by lunar cycles and included instructions on how you can add the phases to your Google Calendar. My favorite quote was “We will kick off all of our new project under the New Moon.” All Marketing colleagues will be required to spend time in the woods during the New Moon stage. This is a time for recharging. This stage will be reimbursed for all travel and tent rental costs. It still makes me laugh every time I reread that thread.
We sent out a thread stating that we “really wanted to get more in touch with the moon” pic.twitter.com/ViRBgSYR6N
— Hailley Griffis (@hailleymari) April 1, 2020
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What can you learn from the Buffer approach?
Buffer has taught me a lot about how to stay true to your values. It’s easy for someone to claim they are transparent. But it can be difficult to keep that transparency in the face of difficult times. Buffer has been through many difficult seasons, where we have not maintained transparency. I am proud to be a part of a company that holds true to its values. Buffer went through a cash flow crisis, which was an example. While many companies don’t want to reveal details and keep their secrets, we chose transparency. We shared our entire story on our blog and received the greatest support from our customers and community.
Amanda joined Buffer February 2020
Name: Amanda Marochko
Role Senior Product Manager
Team – Product
Amanda’s favorite Story
Buffer hired me initially to manage our relationships and third-party integrations. My role was embedded in the product team so I took this opportunity to learn from Buffer’s product managers. I was eventually able to advocate for myself and become a full-time product manger. I owe a lot to all the people at Buffer who supported and mentored me along my journey. Buffer has allowed me to grow my career and accept new challenges. I have never felt happier in my job. This is something I think about a lot. My favorite memory is the moment when I was told I would be a full-time product manger. It has changed my career and I have loved working with engineers, marketers, product managers, and designers to create valuable features for customers.
What surprised you the most when you joined Buffer?
It seems cliché to mention how kind and supportive everyone has been. It’s clear that everyone wants the best for each other, and although we may not have met in person, there is a mutual trust and respect. It’s a daily practice at Buffer to show our gratitude and it’s deeply ingrained in our culture. I’ve never seen anything like it but it’s one of the reasons that makes me appreciate my job at Buffer.
In June 2021, Arek joined Buffer
Name – Arek Panek
Role: Senior Engineer
Team: Engineering
Arek’s favorite Story
I am a digital nomad and my favorite part about working at Buffer has been meeting other Bufferoos around the globe – it is amazing that there are always Bufferoos nearby. If not, they were probably there and can give you lots of suggestions!
Buffer employees are always friendly, knowledgeable, and great people. People are often surprised that I am tall. There were also some great jokes about it. You can’t tell much about your coworkers height if they work remotely.
What can you learn from Buffer’s values
Literally, I learned how to become a better person! When I began living Buffer values, I was able to see a shift in my personal life. I am more open about what I do and won’t hesitate to share my mistakes. I also feel better about showing gratitude. It feels great to be thankful for the work of others and share that with them. Buffer has helped me to reflect on my career, work, and personal life more. These values will make you a better person. I love this.
In June 2022, Jacob joined Buffer.
Name Jacob Chadwell
Role Software Engineer
Team: Engineering
Jacob’s favorite memory
Meeting my team in Banff Canada
What do you know about how Buffer approaches work?
There is a huge difference between working from home and remote work. Buffer is thoughtful about remote work. We don’t try to duplicate an in-office experience like many companies did post-pandemic. Instead, we embrace the benefits and challenges of being a global, fully distributed team.
Our team strikes a great balance between synchronous and non-synchronous work. We ensure that everything we are working on is clear so that everyone has context. For the first time I feel that I’m not guilty of taking my dog for a walk or going to a gym during the day. It’s a great opportunity to organize our work and lives around what works best for us. This is something that you won’t find at any other company. We are able to be flexible and work when we need it.
In February 2022, Tamilore joined Buffer
Name: Tamilore Oladipo
Role Content Writer
Team Marketing
Tami’s favourite memory
Surprise, it’s me! This is super meta. But I wanted to add my perspective without risking coming across as a fanfiction writer. My favourite memory is one that was very recent. It also has a lot of backstory, which I won’t go into. The short version is that I wasn’t able to attend the Vancouver Marketing Team meetup. While the team tried their best to make sure I felt included, I was disappointed I didn’t get the chance to meet and connect with anyone.
Two weeks later, I was presented with a package that contained Canadian snacks, a cute T-shirt and even the thank you pen we gave out at the end. This act of inclusion was the most kind gesture I have ever received from any team.
What do you know about how Buffer approaches work?
Every business needs people. Buffer would not be where it is today without its customers, readers, or followers. Buffer’s commitment to people is evident in how they prioritize, what values we hold, and how they treat one another.
Celebrate Buffer’s Birthday with Us
Join us on Twitter to share our past memories and join the first Bufferchat for a while (OGs know), to discuss where we are today and what the future holds!
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