Our
reason for existing as a company doesn't have much to do with the mortgage business
or banking industry. It is about trying to create a company that really is different
and better. We have been frustrated by the status quo in the mortgage industry,
both from a customer point of view and an employee point of view. We think the
experience that customers have with most mortgage companies is pretty bad. Some
mortgage companies often take customers for granted, don't seem to care about
serving them well, and often don't even tell them the truth.
Yet it seems to us that most individuals really do want to accomplish something wonderful and meaningful with their work, and they are willing to work hard to make that happen. But somehow the organizations that they work for often make it difficult or impossible for individuals to really do great work, or feel much sense of accomplishment, or serve their customers well. When that happens, it is a real tragedy.
So, we are trying to create a company where people can do great work that they are proud of, and where we provide our customers with an experience that they will truly find remarkable.
Even if you start with a strong dissatisfaction with the status quo and lofty ambitions of doing something different and better, it is not all that obvious what to do! After all, people don't intentionally create companies that are lousy places to work and provide lousy service. It happens in spite of good intentions.
We think the key to creating a
company that really
is different and better is to focus on the values that drive the company's actions.
Everything else about a company will change over time - the market, the people,
and the products.
