Reflecting On My First Few Weeks at Bottle Rocket

This is my fourth week with Bottle Rocket and I am so delighted to be here. Before joining Bottle Rocket, I did my own due diligence and found that they are one of the best companies to work for in Texas. I heard some really amazing things from people that work here. But all of that did not even come close to the experience I have had in my first four weeks.

Bottle Rocket is a very different and unique organization. It is a place where people have a real camaraderie. It is a place where people have empathy, not just for customers, but for the people that work here. It is a place where people are always happy and smiling. It is a place where people are happy to take responsibilities. It is a place where you don’t have to ask for help, people just reach out to help you.

One of the coolest things about Bottle Rocket is the number of former ‘Rocketeers’ (yes that’s what we call ourselves) that have come back. In the month of July 2020, three out of the four people that joined Bottle Rocket are folks that have returned from other companies.

A Welcoming and Enthusiastic Culture

What I have loved about Bottle Rocket so far is that everyone is looking out for you. There is an intentional effort being made by other Rocketeers to help you succeed. There is transparency — no it’s not lip service. There is true transparency. People are sharing information with each other, so you really don’t feel like you have been left out of communication. People are bouncing ideas and sharing knowledge. In my four weeks, I have been able to talk about what is going on in product, how we are shaping our product practice, what else is going on in the industry and what can we apply to our practice. I have discussed how we take the consulting practice forward, why our clients love us, what we do good and what we are not so good at. People are open to listen to ideas and when I asked tough questions about Bottle Rocket’s weaknesses, I got very clear and honest responses.

Innovation is Key

Bottle Rocket is in the business of delivering amazing digital experiences, but it goes beyond that. The reason why Bottle Rocket is able to deliver these amazing experiences is because we are not afraid to take risks and innovate. The Bottle Rocket team is able to do this because the leadership here has been able to create a psychologically safe space where the team has been empowered to take those risks. People here like being challenged. It’s not just something Rocketeers say, it’s in our values — “Embrace the Impossible.”

Judgement Free Zone

Another thing that has made me feel super comfortable at Bottle Rocket is the ability to show vulnerability. Brené Brown said, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.” Organization wide, it has been made possible for Rocketeers to show vulnerability. I have felt this in number of meetings I have been in. There is no unspoken rule that certain questions are prohibited. There is no fear of getting judged. There is no fear of looking bad or weak. This creates an amazing space to share, speak-up, make mistakes and keep going.

The last four weeks have been amazing for me. I am so happy to be a Rocketeer. One amazing thing that allowed me to be a Rocketeer is Bottle Rocket’s ‘work from wherever’ policy. I am the first Rocketeer to be onboarded in our ‘work from wherever’ reality. Yet, I have been able to experience the amazing culture of Bottle Rocket. That just goes to show the amazing organization that Bottle Rocket is. Of course, the credit goes to the people that work here that embrace this culture and everything that comes with it. Rocketeers are an awesome group of people — they are smart, empathetic, hard-working, collaborative and energetic people and I am so glad to be part of this group.