Handbook
The Panenco handbook is a collection of sources in which we highlight our career and personal evolution principles. With this document, we aspire to be a transparent environment in which talent can flourish.
(Last updated at 01/11/2021)
Panenco is a young group of people that raises the bar for digital products. We provide services to clients of all sizes around mature product definitions. We connect the dots throughout the entire product development process in a pursuit of quality.
We aim to be much more than a 'role' or a 'job' for people. More broadly, we're a context that embodies product quality. Quality will only be attained by having the best people in their domain working passionately and diligently on big ambitions.
We recognise that:
We guarantee that:
As an organisation we are continuously improving:
This document gives a full overview of the daily operations for all people in our Panenco context. As the company evolves, the document will evolve with it. All feedback is appreciated at all times and needed changes will be swiftly processed. We want to be a comfortable, fair and inspiring workplace for all teammates.
We recognise that:
- Outstanding people reinforce each other to grow stronger
- Quality takes time, steadiness and consistency
- Great engineering will happen based on mature product definitions
- Variation in assignments is a positive happening for knowledge spillovers
- Jobs might be finite, but underlying friendships and comradery last a lifetime
We guarantee that:
- Everyone in the team will get a personal learning trajectory
- You have a voice in every decision
- You'll be freakin' proud of the work you do!
As an organisation we are continuously improving:
- Transparency: we operate in a flat structure with limited hierarchy. Near-full transparency should be a cornerstone to keep that model functional
- Internal and external communication: as we work on a variety of product initiatives and in a mostly distributed manner, it's a constant challenge to keep everyone in the loop
- Operations: we want to be a place where you can focus on the job at hand role without administrative distractions. Do you see bottlenecks in any processes? Please mention and we'll commit to get rid
This document gives a full overview of the daily operations for all people in our Panenco context. As the company evolves, the document will evolve with it. All feedback is appreciated at all times and needed changes will be swiftly processed. We want to be a comfortable, fair and inspiring workplace for all teammates.
1. Operating principles
Back in 2018, we defined our own set of flavours and dimensions in the product development process.
We made a fundamental decision to separate 2 dimensions:
We made a fundamental decision to separate 2 dimensions:
- (Product) operational dimension: fully orchestrated delivery (end responsibility of a product manager)
- Domain specific dimension: technical or creative principles (end responsibility of a chapter lead)
2. Remote work principles
We believe you should be facilitated to do your best work in the manner that's most productive to you. Our only objective is a quality objective. Location is of secondary importance.
We'll be eternally flexible with regards to working from home, but with an underlying time zone requirement that is within 3 hours of Central European Standard Time.
We expect you to be well-prepared and vocal in the surroundings of our sprint-based model:
A region-based approach:
We currently have offices in the following locations where all team members are welcome at any time:
Even though we work remote-first, we don't want to work remote-only. We enjoy being with our teammates around a social dimension as well. Moreover, we are keen on hosting periodic chapter meetings in which case studies or challenges are presented and overall methodology is discussed. We would love to host this in-person with the necessary pizza's.
Therefore our hiring efforts will still broadly be organised around our main offices (within a 3 hour radius). We want to keep finding this balance between delivery and sociability. This too should remain a key aspect of our culture.
We'll be eternally flexible with regards to working from home, but with an underlying time zone requirement that is within 3 hours of Central European Standard Time.
We expect you to be well-prepared and vocal in the surroundings of our sprint-based model:
- Planning
- Daily standups
- Demo / retrospectives
A region-based approach:
We currently have offices in the following locations where all team members are welcome at any time:
- Leuven, Belgium
- Kyiv, Ukraine
- Lisbon / Viseu, Portugal
Even though we work remote-first, we don't want to work remote-only. We enjoy being with our teammates around a social dimension as well. Moreover, we are keen on hosting periodic chapter meetings in which case studies or challenges are presented and overall methodology is discussed. We would love to host this in-person with the necessary pizza's.
Therefore our hiring efforts will still broadly be organised around our main offices (within a 3 hour radius). We want to keep finding this balance between delivery and sociability. This too should remain a key aspect of our culture.
3. Roles and responsibilities
We describe our default role and responsibility set in this blog post.
These job listings are written in a generic manner because of a single realisation: we not looking for 'profiles', we're looking for genuine people who match with our mindset and who love their domain.
Every teammate carries a responsibility over the well-being, motivation and learning trajectory of others.
Every product team carries the integral delivery responsibility of their product objectives. All in it together.
- We don't believe in strict hierarchy
- We do nurture end responsibility (delivery / domain specific)
- We value people taking ownership
These job listings are written in a generic manner because of a single realisation: we not looking for 'profiles', we're looking for genuine people who match with our mindset and who love their domain.
Every teammate carries a responsibility over the well-being, motivation and learning trajectory of others.
Every product team carries the integral delivery responsibility of their product objectives. All in it together.
4. Peer review principles
Training program / academy
For every new joiner we foresee a training period of 3 months where you will become a part of an existing product team and be able to shadow and explore the entire product development journey in a hands-on manner.
You're not hired for a specific function. You're hired to be an integral part of a team and the related product objectives.
Our evaluation criterion at the end of the 3 months will be the progress you can demonstrate. Let us take a de-tour here with an Einstein quote: "The utmost powerful force in the universe is compound interest".
We strongly believe in the compound principle for any person's learning trajectory. We'll initially assess your core (computer science) knowledge alongside your personal portfolio. A good set of brains combined with an exceptional demonstrable learning pace will bring the world at your feet.
Review principles
There are 3 dimensions to our review process:
For every new joiner we foresee a training period of 3 months where you will become a part of an existing product team and be able to shadow and explore the entire product development journey in a hands-on manner.
You're not hired for a specific function. You're hired to be an integral part of a team and the related product objectives.
Our evaluation criterion at the end of the 3 months will be the progress you can demonstrate. Let us take a de-tour here with an Einstein quote: "The utmost powerful force in the universe is compound interest".
We strongly believe in the compound principle for any person's learning trajectory. We'll initially assess your core (computer science) knowledge alongside your personal portfolio. A good set of brains combined with an exceptional demonstrable learning pace will bring the world at your feet.
Review principles
There are 3 dimensions to our review process:
- Product team feedback (around the sprint dimension): a continuous stream of feedback between the members of a product team (informally on a daily basis and formally during a retrospective). We want you to be direct in your feedback without gloves on (but very respectfully). For the benefit of clarity.
- Domain specific feedback (chapter based): periodic review sessions with your chapter lead to talk specifically about your technical/creative evolution.
- Performance and salary reviews: 2 pre-defined weeks per year when formal reviews take place in the following setup: the product managers you work with closest + your chapter lead + the tribe lead. This will be an open conversation where we don't assess good/bad but rather constructively assess the next steps you should be taking to become a better professional in both the technical and operational aspects.
5. Levels and compensation
We want you to progress quickly and advance your career. Heck, we're already looking forward to your next salary raise!
At the same time we consider it to be of utmost importance that skills and compensation are proportionate and balanced. We don't believe in excess or quick wins. We believe that steady wins your personal race into becoming an outstanding professional.
If you choose content over perks, the perks will follow naturally.
Determining your level
We break away from the traditional 'jun/mid/senior' model. We organise all levels around the product dimension and your abilities to contribute to the product's progress and success.
We define 4 main career stages:
Compensation and benefits
Based on the stages defined here above, we have a standard salary file per region which is accessible to all teammates. The stages are broken down into sub-levels:
At the same time we consider it to be of utmost importance that skills and compensation are proportionate and balanced. We don't believe in excess or quick wins. We believe that steady wins your personal race into becoming an outstanding professional.
If you choose content over perks, the perks will follow naturally.
Determining your level
We break away from the traditional 'jun/mid/senior' model. We organise all levels around the product dimension and your abilities to contribute to the product's progress and success.
We define 4 main career stages:
- Panenco academy member: you're in an active training program to take your first professional steps. You demonstrate a rapid learning curve.
- Guided delivery: you're able to create/deliver qualitative product value with active guidance from product managers, chapter leads and other teammates
- Autonomous delivery: you take matters into your own hands. You know which topics to raise in daily standups, make trustworthy sprint plannings and you find a path to ship features into production.
- Inspirational delivery: you master the people-dimension of the product development process alongside your daily delivery involvement: you find and get the best out of others
Compensation and benefits
Based on the stages defined here above, we have a standard salary file per region which is accessible to all teammates. The stages are broken down into sub-levels:
- Panenco academy member: standard model for all participants
- Guided delivery:
- Detailed reviews required
- Rudimentary reviews required
- Autonomous delivery:
- Reviews desirable
- Reviews not required
- Reviewing others
- Dealing with exceptional complexity
- Inspirational delivery: custom arrangements
6. Job functions
Product management:
Product design:
Front-end development:
Back-end development:
Data science & engineering: coming soon
Growth marketing:
Marketing design:
- Related vacancy: https://panenco.com/tpost/db7bbpsfkd-product-manag...
- Job essence: you define product roadmaps with the product owner and you manage the delivery process
- Specific points of attention:
- Operational: you have the next delivery sprint (2 weeks) under a tight grip, but you're continuously defining product objectives for the next 6 months. You have a broad take on your responsibilities including setting up customer success, billing and payments, capturing key legal aspects, budgeting, forecasting, ... You're on a constant automation journey towards product-market-fit.
- Technical: you know your way around (visual) prototyping tools and you grasp core DevOps principles. You're able to turn those into daily realities for the technical delivery operations. You can easily assess the complexity of desired features and you can distinguish value creation from spaghetti.
Product design:
- Related vacancy: https://panenco.com/tpost/2pi8in8l3y-product-desig...
- Job essence: you turn product roadmap objectives into clickable interfaces
- Specific points of attention:
- Operational: you're a constructive part of the creation process, working closely with the product manager and other key stakeholders. You keep the software delivery operations in mind, aiming to reduce technical complexity through simplification in the interfaces.
- Technical: you fully master our chosen design and prototyping toolset. You work according to set-out best practices and principles
Front-end development:
- Related vacancy: https://panenco.com/tpost/y21ukm8hbj-software-engi...
- Job essence: you turn elaborate product designs into browser-based experiences
- Specific points of attention:
- Operational: you are the bridge between product design and back-end engineering. You can easily assess the implications of certain decisions that are made and you can activate the right teammates to deliver their side of the desired changes.
- Technical: you have a detailed eye for component behaviours yet at the same time you fundamentally grasp REST API principles and you can interface with back-end developers.
Back-end development:
- Related vacancy: https://panenco.com/tpost/9rg0uu8chx-software-engi...
- Job essence: you turn business logic into scalable APIs
- Specific points of attention:
- Operational: you swiftly distill data modelling decisions from (changing) functional requirements
- Technical: you take ownership over the build & run aspects of every product
Data science & engineering: coming soon
Growth marketing:
- Related vacancy: https://panenco.com/tpost/m33hurdg81-growth-market...
- Job essence: you bring software products into the hands of end users and capture feedback
- Specific points of attention:
- Operational: you can handle the creative side of marketing while also having the ability to manage key (SaaS) metrics
- Technical: you work your way around our chosen tooling for onboarding, billing, customer success, email marketing, social marketing, etc.
Marketing design:
- Related vacancy: https://panenco.com/tpost/one31g1t81-marketing-des...
- Job essence: you create matching brands and brand books for the technical assets in our portfolio
- Specific points of attention:
- Operational: you fully grasp the product positioning and you're able to distill your own findings or questions from here on out. You're detail oriented, but you're able to work in smaller day-to-day increments.
- Technical: you master key tooling in the Adobe Creative Suite and build files that other teammates can find their way around in as well.
7. Administrative principles
- Referrals: when you refer new teammates to join us on a full-time basis, you'll get an extra compensation proportionally to the experience level of the person coming in. This compensation will only be granted if the new joiner stays for at least 6 months.
- Expenses: reasonable professional expenses will be covered by the company if and only if the proper proof, tickets or invoices can be accounted for.
- Certifications and trainings: we're willing to invest in formal certifications, e-learning courses, offline courses and language trainings. Arrangements are to be made in writing via email.
- Travel: required or previously agreed business travels will be fully compensated by the company. All teammates are also welcome at our various offices at their own initiative and own cost.
- Intellectual property: the IP you create within the product context of your employment will always integrally belong to that product and to Panenco as a company. What you decide to build outside the working hours in your spare time will be fully supported and belong to you personally. We'll be happy to serve as a sparring partner and have you present your personal projects as part of the Panenco Labs sessions. Let's. Learn. From. Each. Other.
- This list will regularly be amended over time
8. Onboarding
Welcome on this new step in your professional journey with us. The first few days will contain many practical aspects. We intend to guide you through these in a comfortable manner to get you fully up and running to do what you love to do most.
General onboarding steps:
Chapter specific steps:
General onboarding steps:
- HR intake conversation
- Accounts creation
- Chapter lead intro call
- Personal intro of yourself to the team in the next Panenco Labs session: prepare something noteworthy!
- To be completed
Chapter specific steps:
- Meet your chapter mates
- Run through of principles and methodology
- To be completed
9. Offboarding
In case our roads separate, we'll welcome you to become a proud Panenco Alumni!
Naturally, there are a number of practical steps to go through. This sections lists these steps and your formal responsibilities.
To be completed
Naturally, there are a number of practical steps to go through. This sections lists these steps and your formal responsibilities.
To be completed
9. Leadership
Panenco intends to keep a horizontal structure with a focus on delivery.
The company's leadership currently exists of:
The company's leadership currently exists of:
- Founder / CEO: Egwin Avau
- Operations manager: Koen Verschooten
- Product managers: Jordi Vandenhouwe, Fred Versyck, R.O.
- Chapter leads: Dries Croons, Oleksander Kanskyi, Vladyslav Chernii
- To be completed
Closing statement
We genuinely hope to have given you a clear overview of the principles we stand for during your employment at Panenco. We want you to outgrow and outdo yourself, it will be the greatest validation for us as an organisation that we're on the right track.
Delivering outstanding work will be the surest way to a good work-life-blend.
Questions?
In case of questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to info@panenco.com.
We genuinely hope to have given you a clear overview of the principles we stand for during your employment at Panenco. We want you to outgrow and outdo yourself, it will be the greatest validation for us as an organisation that we're on the right track.
Delivering outstanding work will be the surest way to a good work-life-blend.
Questions?
In case of questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to info@panenco.com.
Contact
Belgian Office
Kolonel Begaultlaan 1A/51, 3012 Leuven
Ukrainian Office
123 Peremohy Avenue, Suite 520 02000 Kyiv
Kolonel Begaultlaan 1A/51, 3012 Leuven
Ukrainian Office
123 Peremohy Avenue, Suite 520 02000 Kyiv
Location
About us
We're a fast growing product studio with headquarters in Leuven, Belgium. We turn industry expertise into scalable digital products, from the product definition towards business results. We were founded in 2014 and we've organically grown into a driven team of 40 people, on a mission...
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