Responsibility and freedom go hand in hand
03 | 2021 Sanna Valkeejärvi
Kipinä is a software development consultancy with a fair share model. What does it mean and how is it perceived? Let the people of Kipinä tell you themselves.
"Ownership of a company is a very cool thing. Often job advertisements are looking for so-called team players. However, it is only this kind of partnership model that leads to true team play, where both potential gains and losses are shared. The success of colleagues in their work and the prosperity of the company is directly in the financial interest of each shareholder, which contributes to the incentive to help colleagues and to think about the best solutions for the company as a whole." - Tomas Günther
"You should dare to question the structures, because working life can and should be fun and original. Not everyone has to be part of a big machine. The Kipinä co-working model is a good combination of responsibility and freedom, with virtually no hierarchy. I'm an entrepreneur in a way, but not a sole trader in any sense." - Juha Inkinen
"We are clear about the rules of the game for team entrepreneurship. Responsibility and freedom are clear to people who have been in the business for a long time. Experience brings responsibility to everything you do, so the partnership model works well." - Nora Lindahl
"I don't think this kind of model and environment is suitable for a junior, it requires experience and confidence. If you are an experienced worker and have the skills to do demanding tasks on your own, you have a good chance of being rewarded. Taking risks is rewarded if you can do it. The Kipinä team has a clear vision of how to do the job, there is a good understanding of the link between responsibility and freedom." - Tony Repo
So Kipinä is not staffed by employees, but by equal partners who are willing to take responsibility for the company. In return, they are empowered to shape both the company and their own working lives. The fact that people value each other and the community as a whole is what makes Kipinä.
"In the end, it's always up to the customer, because the work is done, but there is flexibility in working hours for those who want it. There is also flexibility as a shareholder in that you can choose the tools you want to use. " - Tony Repo
"What's great about this model is the emphasis on recruiting experienced professionals. Then everyone gets to work with professionals and learn from each other. At Kipinä you are not a piece in the bureaucratic wheel, but a genuinely important part of the business. Working in a smaller company like this with a good team is motivating in itself, not just the ownership." - Tomas Günther
"It's a security to have the support and expertise of the whole Kipinä and the ecosystem behind you. It is also important for Kipinä people that the team has a good spirit and will to make Kipinä a place where people feel comfortable. People want more than just money, they want to live a life of their own. Yet at the same time you can develop your career and be at the top of your field." - Nora Lindahl
"At Kipinä, you don't have to spend extra energy thinking about the secondary things you're used to in traditional jobs. For example, if I want to improve the way we work, I don't have to get creative in the jungle of organisational parts and values: it's enough to bring it up for discussion. As shareholders, we are all jointly responsible for the development of the company." - Juha Inkinen
In the Kipinä model, work is done and the benefits are shared fairly between the shareholders, leaving time for more than work. For the model to work well, the operations and culture emphasise 100% transparency, from open communication to monthly financial figures.
Being part of the Kipinä requires people to have experience and the ability to take responsibility for their own projects. Kipinä is looking for experienced software development and data experts who value continuous learning, professional pride and a passion for solving customer challenges. Not to be forgotten is the ability to be a team player and the desire to work in Kipinä's team entrepreneurial community.
Each shareholder must also share in some way the Kipinä values.