As a workers’ collective, we are comprised only of worker-owner-directors (not “employees”) each with an equal stake, and an equal say, in how we manage our operations and our surplus value. We are not a typical for-profit business. While we do aim for a profit (we have bills, after all) we strive to help others and to exploit no one.
All Tadpole Collective members agree to support and uphold these values.
While decisions must be made, we value the views of all and we reserve the right to review past decisions and make reassessments. Every voice must be heard in a vote.
We want to democratize the web and the economy. We believe that people are empowered by the act of self-publishing and by owning their own data. We run our business collectively, own its assets jointly, and make decisions democratically.
We are open about our pricing and business practices. We don’t mask costs or change agreed pricing without signoff from the client. We give honest feedback and encourage clients to make decisions based on researched facts, not gut feelings.
We do not work for free but we do donate work, each at our own discretion.
We respect our clients by providing professional services, honoring our commitments, and treating all people with dignity and empathy. We expect clients to respect us by doing the same.
While we strive to achieve our goals, no one is perfect and timelines will sometimes need adjustment. In these cases, early communication is essential to resetting expectations. Good planning and open communication will help minimize such instances.
We are strong defenders of freedom of speech and expression, but that does not mean we respect all views. Neither hateful content nor bigoted organizations are welcome with us.
We believe in open source, web standards, usability and accessibility. We make every effort to encourage clients to follow best practices in their website development, and educate them about these practices at every opportunity. While clients have the ultimate say over implementation, we are committed to building websites that follow these principles. We spread this knowledge to our clients and throughout the community, via outreach and training programs, mentorships, and speaking engagements.
None of us walks alone. We help each other work things out because we know others will be there for us when we need help. Even when one is not specifically tasked to a project, one lends a hand because it is the right thing to do. We’re there for each other.
While we know that other members always have our back, we do not make promises for others to keep. Prudence is the best policy when clients ask for something outside our own expertise. As a collective, Tadpole must speak clearly and always with one voice.