At Rundoo, a point-of-sale software startup that employs fewer than 100 people, it feels like there’s nowhere to hide — and that’s a good thing.
“You’re either shipping or you’re not, and it’s obvious in a good way,” Head of Product Vidhan Agrawal said.
Demystifying every aspect of employees’ work, from backlogs to recorded calls, ensures that the company’s teams move quickly and effectively. Agrawal said that this focus on speed and efficiency, coupled with an intentional approach to processes and a lack of red tape, makes it easy for the company to ship impactful products and, ultimately, maintain momentum in the market.
Meanwhile, at Collectly, a focus on open communication creates a strong culture that encourages team members to accomplish meaningful work — and be recognized for it. Head of Enablement Cristine McMillan shared that she works with employees to bring their ideas to life before highlighting their successes with the wider company over Slack.
“The measure is qualitative but real: When people trust that you’ll listen and act, collaboration becomes instinctive rather than forced,” she said.
For the teams at both Rundoo and Collectly, cultures built upon strong values, collaboration and recognition are the key to business success. Read on to see what else Agrawal and McMillan had to say about how these cultures manifest every day, inspiring employees to deliver their best work.
Rundoo’s AI-native point-of-sale system is designed to help independent paint and hardware stores win customers, streamline operations, and grow their businesses.
What recent decision best reflected your values — and what changed as a result?
At Rundoo, our values are pretty simple: “Relentless,” “Unassuming,” “Now,” “Delightful,” “Open” and “Optimized.” They’re not slogans; they’re how we operate day to day.
A good recent example is when we completely reprioritized our November roadmap. We thought we were going to be focused on something else, but after talking to a bunch of customers, it was very clear that what they actually needed right now was improvements to payments and special orders. And that’s where “unassuming” really matters. We don’t pretend — we already know what’s going on in our stores. We ask questions, we listen, and we’re honest about the fact that we don’t know what we don’t know.
So, we said, “OK, this is the thing that matters; let’s just go build it” — new payments workflow, ACH and better special orders. No long debate, no extra layers, just: Listen, then fix the problem, then ship it.
And that’s basically our value system in action. Be open, be optimized toward the right thing, move fast, and make customers happy. The result was immediate: People got solutions to problems they’d been dealing with for a long time, and they were noticeably happier the same week the changes went live.
What collaboration habit keeps work moving — and how do you measure it?
The biggest thing that keeps us moving fast is that we’re extremely open. Everyone sees everything: open backlog, recorded calls and constant reviews. There’s no “hidden work” or mystery around what anyone is doing. Because we’re small, there’s also nowhere to hide. You’re either shipping or you’re not, and it’s obvious in a good way.
“There’s no ‘hidden work’ or mystery around what anyone is doing.”
We also cut out anything that feels like process for the sake of process. No layers of approval, no long alignment meetings. It’s basically: Here’s the thing, then build the thing, then ship it. And when someone is blocked, they ask for help immediately instead of waiting.
How do we measure it? Pretty naturally. Work either moves, or it doesn’t. You can see pull requests, merged code and feedback from customers. Cycle time is visible without needing dashboards just to brag about dashboards. Customers using what we shipped is the metric that matters. Speed, transparency and getting real product out the door — that’s how we keep momentum.
How do you recognize impact fairly — and what’s the return on investment?
Recognition is also very open. Because everyone sees the work in real time, good work stands out. When someone is shipping a great product or taking on a big problem, the whole team knows. And they immediately get more ownership and responsibility, which is the best form of recognition.
We also have fun stuff, like the TANK hat. Yes, it’s a real hat that says “TANK.” It goes to whoever has been pushing the hardest recently. Right now, Santi has it because he’s been putting out a ton of PRs. It’s funny, but it’s also fair: The hat always goes to the person doing the most.
The ROI is simple: When people know impact is visible, they do their best work. It keeps us accountable without being political, and customers feel the results fast. Everyone rows in the same direction, everyone sees the wins, and it builds a culture where people want to keep raising the bar.
Healthcare technology company Collectly offers revenue cycle management software that’s designed to automate workflows, improve cash flow and reduce costs.
What recent decision best reflected your values — and what changed as a result?
I completely reimagined our onboarding approach, shifting from an information-dump model to a learner-focused experience built on confidence and foundation-building. I asked myself: What actually makes a salesperson successful, and how do I learn best?
The answer was an experience that feels encouraging, where you accomplish something meaningful every day and feel proud to show what you’ve learned. So, I built that. We now use diverse delivery methods — multimedia content, varied formats — to connect with people however they learn best. We introduced AI practice sessions so new hires can experiment and try new approaches in a non-threatening environment without fear of judgment. We use milestone checkpoints to verify knowledge and give people the space to truly absorb what they’re learning.
The result? We cut our onboarding timeline in half while producing more confident, better-prepared salespeople. Creating that safe space to practice and grow turned out to be far more efficient than overwhelming people with information.
What collaboration habit keeps work moving — and how do you measure it?
I proactively meet with my customers — sales managers and representatives — with one purpose: giving them space to speak freely about what’s working and what isn’t. Everyone knows they can bring an idea, and I’ll work with them to make it real. When we implement someone’s suggestion, I celebrate that innovation publicly by highlighting the employee who brought it forward. I maintain a Slack canvas with all enablement projects for full transparency, and I’m always available for urgent requests because they happen, and ultimately, winning the deal is what matters most.
“Everyone knows they can bring an idea, and I’ll work with them to make it real.”
This approach gives the team a sense that they have a wingman at their side. That confidence comes from transparency, openness and my willingness to jump in, combined with my experience as both a salesperson and coach. The measure is qualitative but real: When people trust that you’ll listen and act, collaboration becomes instinctive rather than forced.
How do you recognize impact fairly — and what’s the return on investment?
Recognition should be a part of our DNA — happening constantly, even if it’s a simple “Thank you” or “I appreciate you.” Those small moments matter. But when someone leans into the mission beyond their core responsibilities and propels us forward, that deserves broader visibility. We recognize those contributions publicly to the whole company, whether through announcements or during our all-hands calls, where we highlight and celebrate employee accomplishments.
The return is a culture where people feel seen and valued, which drives discretionary effort. When employees know that going above and beyond will be noticed and celebrated, they’re more likely to bring that energy consistently. Recognition isn’t just about the individual being honored; it signals to everyone what we value and inspires others to contribute at that level, too.
