# Be kind — and fun to be with

> How we treat each other matters as much as what we produce.

A CodeNicely value — 4 of 6. Part of https://codenicely.in/culture

## What it means

No shouting. No humiliation. No politics. Being talented has never been an excuse for being unpleasant, and it never will be.

We get far more done when nobody is counting who gets the credit.

If someone makes a mistake, we don't make them feel small about it. We use it to make the person better, and the process better.

## What it looks like on a Tuesday

- Someone's stuck. You give them twenty minutes, even though you're busy. Especially then.
- You never criticise a teammate in public. Praise in public. Correct in private.
- The intern's question gets the same respect as the lead's.
- When something goes well, you say who did it.
- You go to the celebration. It matters more than you think.

## What this does NOT mean

- **Kind is not soft.** The kindest thing we can do is tell someone early and honestly that something isn't working — while there's still time to fix it. Letting a person fail quietly is not kindness.
- **Team over ego does not mean no credit.** We say people's names. Loudly. We just don't compete for the microphone.
- **Fun is not a substitute for good work.** Nobody here is graded on being cheerful.

> Genuinely — enjoy this. We spend most of our waking hours in this building. If it stops being fun, that isn't a small problem. Say so.

## The other five values

- Own the outcome — Not the task. The outcome. · https://codenicely.in/culture/values/own-the-outcome
- CodeNicely — It's the name of the company. It was always meant as an instruction. · https://codenicely.in/culture/values/codenicely
- Be open — Say it simply. Say it early. Nothing hidden. · https://codenicely.in/culture/values/be-open
- Their business is our business — We are not a vendor. We are the technical team they don't have. · https://codenicely.in/culture/values/their-business-is-our-business
- Stay curious — The tools change every six months. Learning is the only skill that lasts. · https://codenicely.in/culture/values/stay-curious

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CodeNicely — an AI-first product studio in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India.
Founded 2017 by Meghal Agrawal (Founder & CEO) and Ujjwal Agrawal (Co-founder & CTO). Bootstrapped. Started with ₹8,000 of internship money. No outside investment, ever.
50+ products built, 5M+ end users served.

The full culture: https://codenicely.in/culture
The printed book (75 pages): https://codenicely.in/culture/book/ — PDF: https://codenicely.in/culture/How-We-Build.pdf