Radical Transparency And How Buffer Is Changing The Game On Startup Culture

As a social-media focused startup in San Francisco that has raised a few hundred thousand dollars, you might think that Buffer would be Just Another Startup. Instead of being something to forget, however, Buffer is one of the most interesting young companies in technology today.

Unlike other companies of its age that closely guard their financial and product-focused metrics, Buffer is open, sharing its vital signs with the world, almost radically so.

The company publishes a regular report detailing the growth in its userbase, its revenue, total cash position, and more. Every month.

The company also caused waves late last year when it published how much it pays its workers, and the methods by which it came to those numbers. Seniority, role, and incentives based on revenue are used to calculate what each Buffer denizen makes.

Instead of the move causing staffing problems internally, the company saw an uptick in applications for open roles.

Given how the differently the company operates from others in its cohort in terms of age and industry, I wanted to talk to the guys running the ship. So, I sat down with the cofounders, CEO Joel Gascoigne and COO Leo Widrich, to chat about what they do, and why.

IMAGE BY FLICKR USER PETE SIMON UNDER CC BY 2.0 LICENSE (IMAGE HAS BEEN CROPPED)