A note from Brian Armstrong to employees on finding a sustainable balance working at Coinbase

I sent the following note to Coinbase Employees yesterday. We're sharing it in case others find it useful:

Hi team,

Rest and recharge is our lowest scoring engagement area, so I wanted to send a note on how I think about finding my own balance. Coinbase is intense, and that is intentional. I want to be on a championship team and work with people who are willing to put in long hours. Our work is important, and employees that are successful here want to work hard, knowing they can have a bigger impact here than anywhere else. 

 I also recognize we all need breaks to re-energize ourselves for the next sprint. My approach to making Coinbase work over the long term is by taking a week off per quarter, getting regular exercise, and building in time to decompress every day. 

Coinbase’s culture and remote first model is centered on freedom and flexibility. You can live where you want, generally work where you want, take PTO when it works for you etc. There is a lot to love about this model, but the potential downside is that there are no defined boundaries; meetings land at odd hours, Slack goes on throughout the day and night, it is easy to get sucked into work while on vacation, and there can feel like no real separation. The onus is on you to set the boundaries that work for your life. What works for me may be right for you, but it also might be different. You have the freedom to define your own boundaries, but you are also responsible for ensuring Coinbase can keep moving in your absence. 

Here are some ideas for managing work-load and burnout in a more sustainable way:

1. Create space for deep work: Block your calendar, and make time for getting real work done. Whether you are an intern or a VP, we all need time to get deep work done. 

2. Reduce or eliminate low value work: Question the work we need to do, delete low value work, simplify and in some cases automate. Figure out how to minimize low value work at all costs.

3. Carve out personal time every day: Coinbase is open 24/7 365 days a year. It never stops. We always have more work to do. Find moments to unplug every day. Whether that's going to the gym, reading a book before bed, or hanging out with your family and friends; it is OK to step away from your desk, to go do something you enjoy. 

4. Take time off: We all need a break sometimes, even if it doesn’t feel like we can fully unplug with everything going on. To set clear expectations for how to effectively take time off, we’ve created a consolidated set of norms which we are sharing below and adding to Confluence.

Ultimately, we want to balance working hard with finding a rhythm that won’t burn you out. I am sending this note to the company so you know that you can take vacation, and you can set your own boundaries. Just make sure you are reachable if something comes up, per our guidelines below. The balance you find may look different at Coinbase, a remote company in an always-on industry, than it does in other companies.

Thank you,

Brian

Coinbase Time Off Norms Given our sprint-and-recharge culture, most employees take ~4 weeks off every year at Coinbase (inclusive of recharge weeks). However, any time off also needs to work for your team and the business. To get the most from recharge or other time off, follow these four simple steps:

1. Confirm dates with your manager: Taking time off may not always be possible when you want it, with other team members out or critical work happening. Our #1 priority is to ensure work gets done, so your manager must confirm all time off before it is finalized. 

   • Request time off 1 week in advance for every business day out (i.e. 5 weeks before a week off). 2 or more weeks off in a row, inclusive of recharge, requires VP approval.

   • Don’t book non-refundable travel until you have relevant approvals.

2. Make sure your coworkers are aware and ready to cover you: The onus is on you to provide awareness and information to prepare folks to cover for your time off.

   • Build a coverage plan and ensure everyone covering for you understands their role. 

   • Share your coverage plan in advance with your manager, team, and xfn partners. 

   • Put OOO dates on your calendar and invite your coworkers so they have visibility. 

   • Set your Slack status with OOO dates and a link to your coverage plan.

3. Check in, and be reachable if urgent: Many people check in even during recharge/time off to make sure things are going smoothly. You should also be reachable by phone in case something comes up that your coverage plan can’t cover. 

   • Set the “check in” cadence that works for you and your team (more senior = more frequent); this may not apply to certain geos or role types, like hourly or shift workers.

   • Add urgent contact info (e.g. your mobile #) to your Slack profile and coverage plan. We expect your colleagues to call you if they need you urgently.

   • Keep your laptop on-hand (if you’re going to a country where this is permitted).

4. Your org may vary: Your country, team, org, or role may have additional or unique recharge or time off norms. Your manager or leader can help you understand those. If you ever have concerns, you can also reach out to the people team or your HRBP.