Philosophy We were founded on the following philosophies, and maintain them as core to who we are: Raw Material Like any company, we turn raw material into products, sales and profits. Our raw material is not coal, nor ore, nor paper, nor ink. It is the ideas, energy, and commitment of our people. Opportunity Many said that selling magazines through credit cards would be impossible; that building another magazine agency would be impossible; that building a business through instatement media was impossible. Others said that continuous service would be impossible. What others call impossible, we call opportunity. Great Companies Great companies are judged by how effectively they recruit, train and motivate talent; by how demanding and how fair they are with suppliers; by how compassionate they are with customers; by how ruthlessly they pursue competitors. They are also judged by the quality of their products and services, by the skillfulness of their management, by their rate of growth, sales and profits. Great companies are rare; Synapse aspires to be one of them. We Move Fast Companies have hundreds of measures for costs: cost of goods; cost of overhead; cost of capital. But the cost most often discounted is often the most expensive: the cost of opportunity. At Synapse we hate to waste opportunities. That's why we move fast. Sometimes we act on a hunch; sometimes on logic; sometimes on empirical research. Sometimes we're wrong. But we're never slow. Great Rewards Synapse is a meritocracy first and a democracy second. We recognize and reward great performances with great rewards, but because we know that great performances require seamless teamwork, every employee enjoys the fruits of being part of Synapse: the benefits and the bonuses. Waste is Criminal Tools are cheap, people are expensive, and waste is criminal. At Synapse we leverage our people with the best information, the fastest computers, the soundest infrastructure. Sub-optimizing people is the biggest criminal act because it is the biggest waste. Open-Door Policy We have, at Synapse, an open-door policy. Anyone can talk with anyone for any sufficiently weighty reason. And the door widest open is the door of the President. Attitudes Attitudes are more contagious than swine flu. If we have a bad attitude, we leave it at home. If we have a great attitude, we infect others. Together We question. We challenge. We fight for our beliefs. We disregard the status quo. We disrespect the conventional wisdom. We believe in the power of a hunch, the passion of ideas. We admit to and attack our problems, not our colleagues. We fight for our voice; we're heard; and then we work as a team – together. We're Professionals We're professionals. We show each other respect. We do not talk ill of others. We disdain the wasteful and corrosive politics often found in other companies. We air our grievances before they ferment into anger and disrespect. A Very Special Place It is the objective of the management of Synapse Group to give every employee an extraordinary experience: a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. How? By making Synapse a very special place. Also by creating a company of extraordinary value, and then allowing every employee to participate. Tomorrow's Entrepreneurs The people we look for are tomorrow's entrepreneurs. We look for smart, intellectually agile, out-of-the-box thinkers, those who look at obstacles as challenges, not impediments. And because entrepreneurship requires courage, we look for character. In return, we offer a track record of success, an apprenticeship of risk – and reward.