Culture Memo
We're on a mission to get providers paid fairly.
That is the work. It is technical, and it decides whether a practice stays independent. Here is how we do it, and who thrives doing it with us.
Why it matters
Healthcare has a trust problem, and the trust problem has an asymmetry. Payers built systems to question care. Providers were left to answer by hand, one claim at a time, usually after the money is already gone.
Ember is building a world where that fight is fair. Where care proves itself the moment it is delivered. Where physicians are paid right the first time, and no one's revenue depends on winning an argument.
Our values
Do what we say.
We tell the truth, surface problems early, and follow through, even when no one is watching.
Own the outcome.
We take initiative, solve problems, and go the extra mile.
Raise the standard.
We bring rigor to the basics, continuously improve, and make the people around us better.
How we work
- 01
We ship daily.
Not sprints, not quarters. We put work in front of real users and let reality grade it. We would rather correct in a day than plan for a month.
- 02
We understand the system.
Regardless of role, we know how Ember actually works, how a claim moves, and where the money is won or lost. We do not have people who describe the product and separate people who understand it.
- 03
We run on hypotheses and experiments.
We form a point of view, we instrument it, we test it, and we let the data end the argument. Opinions are cheap here. Evidence moves us.
- 04
We keep a central brain.
Everything is documented. Decisions, customer context, what we tried and what it taught us. If knowledge lives only in someone's head, it is not done.
- 05
We go the extra mile.
We pull the strategic report that changes a payer negotiation. We fly to a provider's annual day to bring Ember to the whole platform. Nobody has to approve going further for a customer. It is the expectation.
Our non-negotiables
Tell the truth.
We surface bad news early, communicate honestly, and never hide problems to make ourselves look better.
Show up ready.
When the workday or a meeting begins, we are prepared, present, and ready to contribute.
Talk to people, not about people.
We give feedback directly, respectfully, and constructively, not by complaining to others when the real conversation needs to happen with that person.
No palms up.
We do not waste time defending ourselves or explaining why something is not our fault. We acknowledge what happened, learn from it, and move forward.
Bring solutions, not just problems.
When we raise a problem, we share what we have already tried, what we learned, and what we recommend next. We bring a point of view.
Do the basics well, even when no one is watching.
We do not lower our standards because something is internal, early, temporary, or “just a draft.”
Find the work that predicts success and practice it relentlessly.
We use data to identify what actually drives results, then build our habits and culture around it.
There are no small conversations.
Every customer, candidate, teammate, and partner deserves our preparation, attention, and respect.
We do our own laundry.
We research before asking, build what we need, clean up after ourselves, and do not wait for someone else to solve the problem.
Leave Ember better than you found it.
Our work should improve the product, process, documentation, or knowledge available to the next person.
The bar
The standard is high and we hold it.
When someone is not meeting it, we say so quickly and directly, because letting it sit is unfair to them and to everyone carrying the weight. We would rather have the hard conversation in week two than the inevitable one in month five.
We are growing fast, and the pace is real. People who thrive here find that energizing rather than draining, and we would rather you know that before you join than discover it after.
Who does not thrive here
This is not about talent. Plenty of great people do their best work somewhere else. It is about fit, and being honest about ours.
People who need a playbook.
Scope is not handed to you. If you need direction, defined process, and a clear lane, this will feel like chaos.
People who protect turf.
We are too small for “not my job.” Title-focused and scope-guarding does not survive contact with this team.
People who talk more than they ship.
Strategy is welcome. Strategy without execution is not.
People who go quiet under pressure.
When something breaks, we need you louder, not smaller.