IF/THEN Initiation Process: An Employee’s Perspective

Every once in a while, IF/THEN is graced with a new team member. This long-winded entry chronicles just such an event from an employee’s perspective.

My first moments at IF/THEN were symbolic of what would come. I showed up on my first day back in June of 2006 when Andi, Ricky, and Jim were excitedly rolling out the carpet for me. Really. Okay so it wasn’t red carpet and it was actually for everyone and not just me—but the long two-by-four on the balcony is a reminder of the carpet that once covered the floor of the small studio.

After four years of summer jobs, design school, a degree, and a trip across the country, I was finally staring down at a sign of my accomplishment: my first very own desk at my first job out of school. It sat in its cardboard box, waiting to be assembled. I got a knife, tore open the cardboard, and got to work.

Shane and I were both interns on our first day, and we each had to assemble our own desks. For the record, mine was done first. Off the record, I was very concerned that I’d finish first. Having furnished a Seattle apartment with IKEA furniture, I was seasoned in the art of assembling laminated particleboard furniture. Shane didn’t know it, but I desperately wanted to be the first one finished. This would be the first thing I’d do at IF/THEN and it needed to look good. Who wouldn’t want to compete for the honor of working at a place where you set up your own desk on the first day?

It’s been more than two years since then, and I’m still sitting at the same desk. A lot has changed since then: I graduated from intern to employee and have seen three others join the team. The space has been upgraded from having a new piece of carpet to being twice the size, having matching blinds and faux wood floor, and most importantly featuring a water cooler with hot and cold spouts. IF/THEN recently acquired a (new) couch, distinguishing itself as the fanciest place I have ever worked.

What hasn’t changed is the way the partners do business. Sometimes I feel like I work in a tree fort, and other times I feel like I’m sitting around listening to three people that have been in this business for a while and know what they’re talking about. Overall I guess it feels like being among experts in a tree fort and I don’t know that anyone would disagree. While I can’t reveal all the magic and secrets here on the blog, I can probably share this safely: Andi, Ricky, and Jim all passionately care about doing excellent work. I get to hear pretty much every conversation that happens, and the common theme is that absolutely nothing trumps the desire to do better work regardless of who it comes from. When IF/THEN makes a suggestion to a client, it has the full force of all three partners. And two of them are bald—so just imagine how many years of experience that must be combined.

I’ve written this post entirely on my own, and while I wouldn’t turn down a fabulous promotion or free car from the guys, this is really my workplace as I see it. I’ve had the chance to work on a number of interesting projects, to challenge myself, and to work with a fun and experienced crowd. When I put down the IKEA allen wrench and propped up my desk for the first time, I don’t know that I would ever have anticipated writing this blog post from it.