Managing Deliverables, Not Time
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At Backtick, we measure success by the value created, not the hours logged. We hire adults and treat them as such.
Employee Responsibilities
- Define clear milestones for your projects and keep them updated in our project management tools.
- Focus on "Deep Work"—identify your most productive hours and guard them.
- Communicate early if a deliverable is at risk of missing a deadline; transparency about blockers is more valuable than "crunching" in secret.
Manager Responsibilities
- Judge performance based on the quality and impact of work, not "Slack presence" or early morning logins.
- Focus on "What" and "When," letting the employee own the "How."
- Example: The "Asynchronous Update" vs. The "Check-in Call": Instead of calling an employee to see if they are "working," check the latest Pull Request or documentation update. If the work is moving, the employee is successful.
- Example: The "Flexible Afternoon": If an employee finishes their major weekly goal by Thursday, don't invent busy work for Friday. High-velocity output should be rewarded with time, not punished with more tasks.
- Why it’s better: Managing deliverables reduces burnout, increases employee autonomy, and allows for a diverse range of working styles (early birds vs. night owls) while ensuring the company’s goals are consistently met.