Why 'Lifestyle Company' Is a Badge of Honor at Font Awesome

🎙 In this episode, Font Awesome founder Dave Gandy joins our host Matt Johnson for an honest, unfiltered convo about what it means to build a *lifestyle company* (and wear that badge proudly 💪). This isn’t your typical startup hustle. We’re diving into the “people-first” culture that makes Font Awesome a standout, from character-driven hiring to redefining what success means beyond growth on charts and graphs. 🏆💼

As Dave says, instead of climbing someone else’s ladder, Font Awesome is building its own way up, with purpose, transparency, and some solid work-life balance goals. Here’s why we believe that putting *people* over profit isn’t just good business — it’s just the way the work should be. 🌱💼

 🔑 Key Takeaways:

Lifestyle Company, Proudly: We’re embracing the “lifestyle” label, focusing on growth, happiness, and well-being over sky-high returns. 📈💆‍♂️

Character > Skills: At Font Awesome, character-first hiring = trust, respect, and people who actually *want* to stick around. 🫶✨

VC Vibes Not Required: Font Awesome skips the “thousand-X-or-bust” mentality for a sustainable, fulfilling work culture. 👋💸 

 Life Outside Work Matters: The best parts of life are outside the office—so why not bring those values in? 🏠🌅 

The Right Partner in Crime: Success means finding a partner who balances your quirks. 👯‍♂️ The perfect co-founder is a friend, critic, and cheerleader rolled into one.

Timestamp Summary

0:12 | 🌱 Building a Lifestyle Company Focused on Well-Being and Growth 
6:52 | 💼 Creating a People-First Company Against Conventional Practices 
12:04 | 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Human-Centric Product Design and Company Culture 
15:59 | 🤝 The Importance of Balanced Partnerships in Business 
20:38 | 🫶 Embracing a People-First Culture at Font Awesome

Links and Resources:

• Podcast Awesome: https://www.podcastawesome.com/
• Font Awesome Hiring Philosophy: https://blog.fontawesome.com/company-culture/
• Twitter: @fontawesome

Credits:

• Theme music by Ronnie Martin: https://ronniemartin.org/
• Music interstitials by Zach Malm: https://muzach.bandcamp.com/
• Audio mastering by Chris Enns at Lemon Productions: https://www.lemonproductions.ca/

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