People often select their workplace based on their preferred daily routine, salary, interesting tasks and meaningfulness of the work. However, that is not enough for everyone. Some people seek employers whose values align with their own and while others aim to make a positive impact on the world through their work. What are the Rocket’s values and how do they manifest in the everyday lives of consultants?

Get ready for a major revelation: Rakettitiede’s values seem to have just sort of fallen into place, almost accidentally, during the early stages of the company. When the Rocket was founded in 2011, the founding five had only one clear principle.

“We wanted to create a workplace where we would enjoy working and where people were treated fairly,” says one of the founders and current CEO Juha Huttunen.

*According to Kalle, the Rocket’s ‘no bullshit’ attitude means that everyone gets to be who they are without having to pretend.*

Kalle Lundahn, full stack developer and another founding member agrees: “At the outset, our values and practices kind of just grew out of who we were as founders and how we wanted to interact with others. I don’t recall us ever sitting down to formally hammer out and agree upon our values.”

The happy accident ended up growing into a conscious and well-functioning principle.

“I’m particularly proud of the fairness, honesty and ‘no BS’ mentality that the Rocket crew has come to embody. Although we don’t have house rules hanging on the wall, they are visible in what we do,” Kalle says.

Rakettitiede is what we make it. Every senior-level developer has the freedom to customise the rocket scientist’s moon suit to their liking and organise their daily routines as they seem fit.

But how are the Rocket’s values reflected in the daily lives of the consultants? We presented this question to three rocket consultants, Joni Toiviainen (rocket scientist #40), Antti-Iivari Kainulainen (rocket scientist #58) and Joonas Muhonen (rocket scientist #6).

#1 Respecting others: everyone receives equal treatment

Onboard the Rocket, colleagues are respected, everyone’s opinion matters and, as a cherry on top, the company has a fair and equal salary model.

“Here, I get my voice heard. If I have something to say, it won’t fall on deaf ears,” Joni says. This is the fundamental principle a company must be founded on if there’s a desire to reflect the essence of the company through its people. Mutual respect and collaboration yield the best results.

But having someone to talk to is not enough. Work serves as a means to finance a comfortable life for oneself. At Rakettitiede, every consultant gets half of what they invoice the client. Why? Because it’s fair.

“I like the idea of paying the person who actually does the work. I’m very pleased to say this is a practice we adopted from the beginning,” Kalle says describing the principle the company has implemented since its early days.

“The point isn’t to exploit the consultants for heaps of money. And that creates an atmosphere of respect and fairness,” Antti-Iivari explains. Joni agrees: “As a consultant, I feel I’m getting value out of the work I do.”

*It’s a hard no to back-room policies! Antti-Iivari appreciates the fact that decision at the Rocket aren’t done in secret or behind closed doors.*

At Rakettitiede, consultants aren’t required to do any old assignment that comes their way. “During the sales phase, the consultant is always allowed to get to know the client and the assignment they’re offering. If there’s a mismatch of values with the client and I decline the assignment, my decision is honoured, and alternative solutions are pursued,” Kalle says.

#2 Transparency: you know what’s really going on

According to Antti-Iivari, the mother ship acts and communicates in a transparent and open fashion. This is especially visible in decision-making: “When decisions are made, you won't get the sense that they were made without informing people or on a whim. Nothing comes as a surprise and there are no secrets.”

Being transparent about company-wide issues fosters a sense of fairness, which in turn builds trust and makes decision-making easier.

“I really appreciate the fact that even the management acknowledges their imperfections. I believe in the sharing of information, even when the answers or ideas aren’t fully developed yet. Communication outweighs the need for perfection from the outset. This approach also allows me to be as open and honest as possible about all kinds of things,” Antti-Iivari says.

The building of transparency has been possible due to the lack of bureaucratic hoops to jump through. “The Rocket has no invisible bureaucracy. The culture is open, and information is available whenever you need it,” says Joonas, who’s already been onboard the Rocket for ten years.

There’s always room for improvement. As the Rocket has grown, challenges akin to the game of Chinese whispers sometimes affect internal communication and interactions. Nevertheless, as we aim to steer clear of unnecessary corporatisation, we’ll continue striving to maintain our transparency.

#3 Professionalism: you get to focus on what matters

*Joni says equality and respect form the Rocket’s foundation: everyone’s voice is heard and everyone’s opinion matters.*

Rakettitiede is a workplace for adults who have already experienced the bouncy castles and ping pong playrooms and want to focus on what matters: solving clients’ problems.

Our goal is to offer longer assignments that allow our consultant to truly immerse themselves in understanding the client’s challenges. For example, Joni has spent the entirety of his nearly five-year Rocket career working for the same client.

“As a consultant, I’ve been able to really integrate into the client’s team, which means my interactions with the Rocket crew have been limited. At the same time, I know I always have the opportunity to spend time with other rocket scientists too,” Joni says.

The key is having a choice.

An experienced developer who’s been around the block a few times knows what they need and what they should concentrate on to have their daily life make sense and feel meaningful. Even if you decide to settle in with your client’s team like Joni, we will still look after you. “When the consultant feels good, so does the client. This is a invaluable realisation that the Rocket has truly internalised,” Joni says.

#4 Cooperation: the mothership provides support and encouragement and helps overcome obstacles

Support and encouragement are available whenever you need them.

Rocket scientists stick together, despite the fact that consultants tend to orbit their own satellites. At the Rocket, everyone has their own a caretaker, a designated colleague who offers a shoulder to cry on, some sparring support or someone to have a chat with. “Knowing that the Rocket team is there to catch you if necessary is really important,” says Antti-Iivari.

Joonas places great value on getting a fair compensation for his work and the possibility to receive support in his daily tasks. “We don’t need a fancy high street office with bowls of sweets and coffee machines to be happy,” he says.

The importance of collaboration is also evident in the mutual understanding between consultants and clients. “When people are like-minded, right up to company management, there tends to be an understanding of how things should be done. This is how IT leadership is effectively established,” Joonas says. As the majority of the Rocket’s founding members are still involved in client work, they maintain a sense of what an IT consultant needs from the home base to stay happy.

#5 Learning: permission to be imperfect and grow

Even seasoned software developers need opportunities to develop their skills through their work.

The Rocket offers plenty of possibilities for learning. “Learning new things is important to me and I feel like that’s really encouraged at the Rocket,” Joni says. He adds that, in consulting, most learning takes place while working with a client. “The great thing about consulting is that you get to witness different ways of working and explore new horizons,” Joni says.

>> Read more about how a consultancy can help you beef up your skillset.

#6 ‘No BS’ mentality: be who you are

Last, but certainly not least, we need to address the ‘no BS’ attitude. What does it mean? At the Rocket, it’s a reference to a relaxed atmosphere, fairness and humour. Flexibility, vulnerability and transparency. Appreciation and respect.

“Here, no one has to pretend in order to be accepted. I think that’s the most important thing of all and what the ‘no BS’ mentality boils down to,” Kalle says. “The people here have a great sense of humour, and everyone gets to be who they are,” Joni adds.

We really want to make sure everyone gets treated fair and square. “Even though the company has grown, people always come first. I get heard when I have something to say and I get help when I need it,” Joni says.

“We work to get mo’ money but also for the love of the sport. We don’t need a fancy high street office with bowls of sweets and coffee machines to be happy. Fair compensation for the work done and support when I need it is what seals the deal for me,” Joonas sums up.

Rakettitiede values – no BS and five other tenets to live by