The Values That Define Databricks’ Culture

At Databricks, our cultural principles are central to who we are; the core of the way we work, interact, and innovate. That's why we wanted to walk through our core values, how we define them, and - most importantly - how our Bricksters apply them to their day-to-day lives at Databricks.

We are customer obsessed

The customer is at the center of everything we do. At Databricks, we fully believe that what's best for our customers is best for the company. We have more than 7,000 customers globally, and more than 50% of Fortune 500 companies use Databricks. Customers such as Rolls Royce depend on Databricks to help provide storage and data management to achieve their goal of reducing their carbon footprint. The Databricks Lakehouse provides real time data to identify crucial information needed to achieve Rolls Royce's goal of corporate sustainability.

"Since joining Databricks 4 years ago, I see our Customer Obsessed cultural principle being exercised daily. We know that if customers are successful, we are successful. If we need to make a tough decision, we always ask ourselves: "Is this what's best for our customer?" If the answer is "no," we probably go the other route, even if it means sacrificing some quick wins in the short term. Databricks is a great company, with great leaders and an amazing product. But I believe that our customer obsession is at the center of our success."
- Andy Rocha (Director, Customer Success Engineering)

We raise the bar

We use this principle to fight the notion that as companies grow bigger, it's common to compromise hiring principles or attributes that they value highly. At Databricks, we believe every Brickster is an opportunity to make our teams and the company better – and our requirements don't change as we scale. Being a Brickster means investing in not just the good of the company, but the good of the larger community and lakehouse ecosystem.

"Raise the Bar is a principle that has helped us foster hyper-growth and increase diversity across the organization. By asking if we are raising the bar, we force ourselves to instill a discipline that pushes us to hire better, build better, and perform better. When we are working to raise the bar, we are working to break through an invisible ceiling by empowering ourselves to strive for new results."
- Scott Dennis (Manager, Talent Acquisition)

We are truth-seeking

Data is the essence of everything that we do at Databricks. It is the foundation of our decision-making, and we willingly recalibrate our assumptions based on changing conditions. We look at data to figure out the truth. Working at Databricks means always letting the data decide. We always look to be as data-driven as possible, and while we may have differing opinions and practices, letting the data decide allows us to challenge any preconceived notions or biases.

"Truth-seeking is one of my favorite culture principles and represents the concept of challenging our assumptions and creating a space for vulnerability. Candid feedback from customers helps us guide how we engage and improve product direction by letting the data decide. Internally, it affords us the opportunity to share what's working and what's not across all areas of our business, including at a personal level. Outside of my day-to-day as a Solutions Architect, my goal as an ERG leader is to make Databricks a more diverse and inclusive work environment - and only the raw feedback and metrics will help us improve and shift strategy in an agile manner."
- Kayla Grieme (Solutions Architect)

We operate from first principles

For every project we work on at Databricks, we start with the motivation: what are we trying to achieve? From that, we drive what actions we want to take. First principles thinking drives our innovation and architects solutions that are scalable, make a lasting impact and minimize unintended consequences for both ourselves and our customers. In the healthcare and life sciences fields, for example, Databricks has provided countless customers with modern and open platforms to directly diminish costly legacy data silos, equipping teams with timely and accurate insights. Sticking to First Principles allowed Bricksters to help digitally transform companies using the Lakehouse and, in return, transform the lives of millions of customers.

"I develop Databricks solution accelerators and collaborate with EVERY SINGLE function here at Databricks. Engineering, sales, field engineering, marketing, customer success, professional services, partner, training, legal… you name it. I meet brilliant, passionate people who care about the impact of their work, truly a unified team that makes the dream work."
- Nicole Jingting Lu (Sr. Solutions Architect)

We bias for action

Having a bias for action at Databricks means Bricksters value speed over inaction. Speed matters, so we debate fast, plan fast, drive alignment and execute. Bricksters move quickly, and we get this from our founding culture. Databricks founders learned how companies like Google and Facebook spent millions on talent and infrastructure to build their own proprietary data and AI systems that would ultimately lead to much of their success. Databricks was started to do the same for any company. On a mission to democratize AI, our co-founders set out to build a simple platform, leveraging the open source technologies that they had created, that would unify data, analytics and AI in one place. Today we call this a Lakehouse platform.

"Databricks' focus on Bias for Action was one of the biggest reasons I decided to join the company! I've always valued the ability to move quickly and strategically to execution, and thrive in fast-paced, organized environments.

Databricks doesn't tolerate "paralysis by analysis." The speed of our growth and innovation, and the brilliant people who work here, come together to intuitively insist that "Bias for Action '' is a foundational cultural principle here."
- Elizabeth (Liz) Elliot (Sr. Talent Operations Program Manager)

We put the company first

In any work we do, we always do what is right for Databricks and put the best interest of the company ahead of all other competing needs. We strive to provide customers with what they need to be successful, while also ensuring we're doing what's best for Bricksters and the future of the Lakehouse.

"As a recruiting coordinator, putting the company first is synonymous with cultivating a positive candidate experience. As a company, we run in part because of the types of people who are behind the scenes: dynamic, innovative, go-getters. We are an accumulation of the diligence of the people who make us move. To maintain that atmosphere, I work from the inside to help candidates progress through their hiring process, by putting them first, working around their needs, and personalizing their experience. In short, being the person that as a candidate, I would want to work with. By creating these positive spaces and experiences within Databricks from the outset (along with our Talent Acquisition partners), we are helping to foster the company's needs on the inside, simultaneously continuing to shape the viewpoint of, and success for the company as a whole."
- Siedah Morrish, (Sr. Recruiting Coordinator)

Our ability to execute as a team, the humility that you see in the Brickster population, the transparency and the trust with which we work is a huge part of the Brickster experience. These culture principles are and will continue to be extremely important to us as we look forward to the biggest years of growth that the company's ever seen. We have much work to do in all of these areas, but our commitment is strong and we will continue to showcase this transparently and openly as we bring this data to the world.

Ready to do work with purpose? Join us!