Patmos is a strange place to work. Our company is built around a mission to protect free speech online. Left, right, center, or (usually) none of the above, Patmos relentlessly defends our clients right to an online presence whether or not we agree with what they have to say.
Because of our wide swath of clientele, we are a company that genuinely values ideological diversity. Freedom is Patmos’ first core value. That starts with an authentically free work environment. Our handbook trumpets this – welcoming employees to post anything they want on social media, even posts that our CEO would vehemently disagree with. While this sort of mentality can take some getting used to – especially from team members who come from corporate monocultures (I used to work in the Bay Area) – it makes for a great culture.
Take for example the case of Daniel and Joe. Daniel is an out and proud “Latino for Trump.” Joe is a former Bernie Sanders delegate and Patmos’ CIO. Joe is Daniel’s boss. These two guys go to work every day building out the newest Patmos Center. You’d think this would make for a frigid working relationship. Not so.
I asked Daniel what this was like. “I’m a Trump guy. I was hesitant to work in tech for that reason – let alone let my position be known; however, I found a company where I am free to be me. I’m not just tolerated here, I’m treasured, and the same goes for my supervisor who has the opposite political opinions … .The support and inclusivity I’ve experienced here affirm that the company’s commitment to respect and diversity is real, not just a claim.”
Joe echoed this. “I came to work at Patmos because I’m passionate about the democratization and decentralization of the internet. This team disagrees on a lot. But we are completely united in our desire to create technology that serves everybody. I joke that Daniel doesn’t know how to vote the right way, but he knows how to rack and stack a data center better than most.”
So my takeaway from watching these two guys work together is that diversity is actually important. But it’s most important when it goes beyond surface-level demographics. It means diversity of opinion, thought, political ideologies, and creed. Somehow, organically, we have created a company culture and tech solutions that protect authentic human diversity. I didn’t think this was possible until I started working here.
I wanted to write this to counter this notion that “free speech” was a one-party camp. It’s not.
As our CEO, John Johnson, puts it, “It’s true that the left earned a reputation for canceling the right in recent years. There’s also a growing fear on the left that the right will now be cancelling them retributively in the next four years. If that happens, we’ll still be here for any victim of cancellation. Patmos was built on the simple principle that everybody has a right to speak regardless of political ideology. We’re building an internet that protects freedom of speech at every level for every human. That mission is amplified by the ideological diversity of our remarkable team. We don’t host porn. We don’t host anything illegal. But any ideas are welcome here. Strangely, we love hosting opinions we don’t share. And we love working with people who think differently.”
Our clients on all sides of the spectrum love this when they hear it. Heck, most of our clients aren’t even overtly political in either direction. They’re just businesses who want great service, at a great value, and no down time like everybody else. Employees are drawn here for similar reasons. We are all surprised by the freedom. So, yes, I guess you could say I’m one of Patmos’s many “diversity hires” – we all are.
PS – if you want to be too, Patmos is now hiring for some great positions. Apply here.
