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Organization design and rules

<big>DEPRECATED: this description is old and we are working to the new org. design and rules</big>

Note: Wikipedia is the core of AppQuality know-how: https://wiki.app-quality.com/index.php/HR

*"Working hard for something we don't care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love is called passion." Simon Sinek*

The AppQuality organization is based on an inherited set of values. Mostly, they come from the startup culture: the capacity to take frank and fast decisions, the ability to execute rapidly the strategy, adapt fast to the environment and the willingness to challenge every time the status quo, the endless research to measure everything and excel performance to reach perfection, the intense customer culture and the constant research to hire the best team to give the customer the best product ever, the profound willing to conquer the world and create an environment where meet amazing people, etc.

When we try to think about our set of values in the future we often refer to the Netflix culture (ref: Netflix Culture and the book from Reed Hastings No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention).

At this link, you can find a more detailed description of our values [ITA]: wiki.app-quality.com/index.php/Valori_Aziendali (to be updated).

Speaking about the organization, 4 areas are really important for us: 1. networking is the best word to explain our organization (therefore not hierarchical), 2. we strive for people empowerment, 3. we believe in startup validation and experimentation and 4. radically transparency and candour are at the base on what we do.

It comes that we don’t believe in organizational charts. They are the old way to represent how people move within the company. We believe in a network of talents that, through people empowerment, can give us a “freedom and responsibility” organization (refer to Netflix culture to learn more).

This is why this document mainly focuses on responsibilities: Director responsibilities and Leader/”Head of” responsibilities.

But first, start to define what a Director and a Leader/”Head of” are:

  • A good Director: a good director is the first company value ambassador. He defines the area long-term strategist and is responsible for his results, getting the right team, getting the right training, motivation, supporting and giving the right goals (OKR and more). See "Director 1-line responsibilities" chapter for details
    • “Director” is a status, the idea, the approach, not a Job Title
    • To be a Director isn’t mandatory to have the “Director” word in the Job Title
  • A good Leader/”Head of”: like a director, a good leader is the company value ambassador. In addition, is responsible for achieving area specific goals (execution of the strategy) AND/OR driving the company on a specific topic, the reference point internally and externally on that topic (es: the Senior Data Leader should push the company culture on data management)
    • “Leader” is a status, the idea, the approach, not a Job Title
    • To be a Leader isn’t mandatory to have the “Leader” word in the Job Title
    • “Head of” is a “special” Leader level with responsibility on a specific P&L
    • The “Leader” and the “Head of” have the same level of seniority but different levels of responsibility (see "Leader responsibilities" chapter for details)

And other definitions and tools we use in AppQuality:

  • BoD: the board of directors is the space where directors share and take the most important decisions. At this moment, it is made up of 6 people: Arezzo, Capecchi, Lorenzon, Malvezzi, Manara, Toto.
  • BoD will choose “in and out” of the leadership team through a “leadership committee”
  • The equity board (where the equity shareholders and quota holders are) will choose “in and out” of the BoD through a dedicated “committee”
  • Everyone can become a Leader or a Director
  • Being a Leader or a Director give benefits as well (see "Benefits to being a Leader" chapter for details)
*“We have a “strategic” plan it’s called doing things.” Herb Kelleher, Southwest Airlines Cofounder*

Org Diagram​

See the org chart at this link: AppQuality Org Diagram 22.11.2021

BoD 1-line responsibilities​

Arezzo: responsible for keeping numbers under control and finding/managing financial resources to push our growth

Capecchi: responsible for managing the Community growth and leveraging the maximum value on the Crowd System to scale operations (like the Tester Leader role)

Lorenzon: responsible to scale the Marketing & Communication team, champion of AQ positioning, storytelling and defender of AQ mission and vision

Malvezzi: responsible for Sales growth, creating the sales machine and scaling our customer and our presence globally

Toto: responsible for creating the best product ever, growing the tech team that will create the product that will scale

Leader team and responsibilities [outdated]​

  • At this moment, it is made up of 6 people: Brasca, Cannarozzo, Fanetti, Peretti, Piazza and Vannutelli. Will evolve (in and out) continuously.

Lorenzo Fanetti, Sales Leader: responsible for the implementation and the execution of the sales strategy in Italy, directly managing a few large accounts and increasing the performance of the sales team. He is a contributor to the global sales results and strategy supporting the whole sales team machine.

He is involved in recruiting in Italy. He owns the reporting and analysis of key metrics and acquisition goals, he effectively plans and manages the whole company’s quarter goals. He contributes to develop and communicate an annual sales plan with each key account projections and growth pattern.

Gianluca Peretti, CSM Leader: responsible for the CSM team evolution, improving the CSM performances, hiring new CSM and improving their actual capabilities. Responsible for the customer satisfaction on accounts managed by the CSM, helping sales to improve the customer account size (account escalation) and get the best advocacy from customers (https://wiki.app-quality.com/index.php/CSM_role_description)

Edoardo Vannutelli, Head of Testing Automation: responsible for the Testing Automation services (hiring the best team (internally and externally), presales support, setup of the processes to deliver the best product, internal communication, Growensand other big account management)

Benefits of being a Leader​

  • Fast-growing (both responsibilities and wages/bonus)
  • Company Credit Card
  • TOP Welfare system (the welfare system is still to be created but it will have at least two levels of welfare)
  • Dedicated budget