We rarely think about long-term commitments that are hidden behind easy "yes" answers. By saying "no" to requests or tasks that do not align with one's values or goals, one can avoid unnecessary stress and burnout, and create more space for the things that truly matter to us. Further, one may not realize that this skill helps us build stronger relationships based on mutual respect and honesty, as it allows us to communicate our boundaries and limits effectively. Ultimately, learning to say "no" empowers us to take control of our lives and make choices that serve our best interests, rather than simply accommodating the demands of others.

Words cost nothing to produce but air. Therefore, there's no value in promises. Our job at Universium is to deliver results, and therefore each word must be proven with a result. Presenting an idea? — Show a mockup. Explaining a problem? — Prepare an example. Presenting a problem? — Propose a solution.

Our founders come from the world of academia, where domain knowledge is key to success. At Universium, we must push this idea even further, as our insight and skillset must remain relevant to our partners. It is easy to find a broad-level specialist who can promise, but won't deliver. It is an ultimate challenge to find those who have the means to dive deep and find the answer — no matter what.

Since we often work with new ventures, our team must always remain agile and open to new ideas and technologies. There is simply no other way to give new products a chance to succeed. Achieving this is extremely challenging, as it is normal for someone to get comfortable in their shoes. Hence, we must keep open to new ideas, new technologies, new approaches to conducting business, and to new ways to learn.

In small teams such as ours, speed and agility are the key to everything. Silos, on the other hand, promote the opposite qualities. They lead to boring days of work and lack of clarity on team and company objectives. Therefore, even though our team works on multiple ventures at the same time, we strive to promote inter-team collaborations and regular all-hands presentations, so that each member of our small vessel had a chance to meet everyone, present their work and learn something new.

There's no value in pleasantries, when you are expected to deliver on time. No, you won't figure it out later, and no, misleading answers won't lead to success. Always remain honest and speak the truth. Can't deliver on time? — Explain why. Can't be done? — Don't provide unreasonable expectations. It's more valuable to know the truth immediately, as it costs money to fix mistakes.

There's no time to relax. It only takes one mistake to ruin years of performance and results. We must always remain on our toes to bring true value to our partners. Otherwise, we aren't relevant and we should cease to exist. Anticipate problems, remain keen to learn and frugal at all times.