Lead with why.
Make it count.
Own it.
Choose teamwork.
Say what you mean.
Our values are at the heart of everything we do.
They are deeply embedded in the way we work, how we operate and how we treat each other. Our values define our core beliefs and inspire us to be the best version of ourselves.
“Our values represent the best parts of who we are and who we want to become. When we live them, we enable pros to get more jobs and homeowners to get more done. The result is a thriving company made up of ambitious, engaged individuals.”
Marco Zappacosta
Co-founder & CEO
Our values in action
At Thumbtack, we live our values every day. Both grounded and aspirational, they keep us aligned, challenge us to grow and guide us to become even better.
Lead with why.
Every decision we make boils down to purpose. Are we acting in alignment with our mission? Are we building for our pros and consumers? By leading with why, we ensure that everything we do is with our mission in mind.
First principles thinking guides our work.
We act in service of our pros and consumers. For example, launching a Pro Advisory Board has helped us to better understand the needs of our pros, and the resulting insights enable us to build a more impactful product. By helping our pros thrive, they better serve homeowners, sending ripples of impact throughout communities.
"'Lead with why' acts as our compass for envisioning, crafting, building and shipping better products for our users. Our product process is anchored in creating positive impact, and we’re dedicated to continually improving the way we solve user challenges.”
Waqas Sheikh
Senior Director, Product Managers
Make it count.
Each action we take drives meaningful impact. That means making a difference that people can feel, and asking ourselves, “Did we work on something important today? Did we improve an outcome?” The answer should always be “yes.”
Impact begins with prioritization, alignment and tracking results.
We make it count by following through on the work that brings our vision to life. From strategic planning to tracking progress through individual performance and 360 reviews, we provide every Thumbtacker with support to drive results and celebrate impact along the way.
Own it.
Whatever we’re working on, it’s up to us to make it happen. It’s about doing the right thing and doing it well, following through on commitments, mapping problems to solutions and taking big swings. If we fail, we find the lesson and move forward.
Building better together with our pros.
We aspire to be the smartest investment that pros make in their businesses. That’s why we hosted our first-ever Pro Summit, an event where pros got a first look at product updates based on their feedback and heard from our leaders about how their input guides product improvements.
“In my seven years at Thumbtack, I've seen coworkers, teammates and cross-functional partners embrace risk and take ownership when things don’t go as planned. That behavior is a testament to the culture at Thumbtack; there really is safety in learning as you go and making mistakes.”
Dusti Ondryas
Senior Product Marketing Manager
Choose teamwork.
We believe that teamwork is a choice. Our goals are bigger than one person, and they require our collective effort. Together we’ll go further because of our differences, not in spite of them.
Our teams seized the opportunity to reimagine the future of work at Thumbtack.
Our employees shared a desire to maintain the flexibility of virtual work without losing valuable in-person connection. Thumbtackers from across the company came together to redefine our working norms, keeping equity and flexibility top of mind. The outcome: a virtual-first model coupled with high-quality, in-person connection.
Say what you mean.
We show respect by sharing openly and authentically. Whether recognizing success, contributing ideas, or providing honest feedback, it’s up to each of us to create an inclusive space built on a foundation of mutual trust. We foster a culture where everyone can speak up and feel heard.
Listening to our employees and taking action.
Internal employee pulse surveys provide a clear path for feedback, and change happens quickly, like when we adopted our virtual-first working model and deepened our investment in leadership development.
Feedback is a gift that helps us all improve.
We deliver honest and intentional feedback with best intentions and in alignment with our shared goals. The result is stronger relationships and better outcomes that benefit everyone.
Transparent communication from leadership.
Leaders share 360 reviews and quarterly financial and business updates, and they answer questions as part of “ask me anything” sessions with the entire company.
Celebrating our 2023 Values Award winners
Our global Values Awards celebrate Thumbtackers who show up and live our values every day. Nominated by their peers and leaders, winners inspire us and represent the best of our culture. In addition to company-wide recognition, they also receive prizes, like experiences, leadership coaching and monetary awards for vacations or home renovations.
“Everything we do should be in support of our homeowners and pros. Whether we’re choosing between competing priorities, assessing ROI or even seeking context, I always anchor myself to the desired end state to ensure my actions have the intended impact.”
Misha G.
Director, People Data Science
“To make it count, I am intentional about keeping the long-term perspective in mind. I focus my work on building sustainably and growing a healthy marketplace for consumers and pros.”
George H.
Lead Data Scientist, Product
“‘Own it’ represents integrity and commitment; it’s about being reliable and trustworthy. I embody this value by taking full accountability for my actions. I follow through on my commitments and obligations and take ownership of my decisions, words and responsibilities.”
Pamae P.
Senior Manager, Financial Controller
“I thrive on collaboration and setting aside ego to uplift others and achieve shared goals. Empowering individuals and teams to excel is my primary motivation. To me, collective triumph always outweighs personal accolades.”
Elie M.
Senior Paralegal
“Building trusted relationships with humble, receptive colleagues has enabled me to speak openly and directly. I spend much of my time partnering with managers and leaders, because direct conversations are essential to achieving the right outcomes.”
Megan D.
Director, People Business Partners
This award highlights the Thumbtacker who brings our pros’ perspective to every decision, constantly reminding us of the why behind our work.
“I bring our pros’ stories to the table whenever possible. Whether it’s feedback on a specific product launch, the impact of our product roadmap or how we’ve changed someone’s life, bringing human faces and experiences into our work reminds us why we do what we do every day.”
Dusti O.
Senior Product Marketing Manager
This award celebrates the Thumbtacker who speaks up on behalf of the homeowners who use our platform, reminding us to focus on the real people who we impact every single day.
“As a user researcher, I never stop advocating for our homeowners and pros. I enjoy challenging my product, engineering and data science partners to put the user first, to hear their voices and to build a solution that meets and exceeds their needs.”
Valerie P.
Senior Experience Researcher