Meesho has 9 values. We call them ‘Mantras’. Mantras dictate the core cultural modus operandi inside our org. Our 9 mantras were formed in mid-2021. But what’s the point of these values/mantras if we’re not practising any of them in the org? Or worse, if we don’t have enough avenues for employees to be able to understand, imbibe and practice these core value systems?

Given this was formed only in 2021, it became imperative to hunker down on being able to percolate this in the org. That’s where ‘rituals’ come into play. We have different rituals to be able to get Meeshoites accustomed to each mantra.

This story is about the mantra, “User First”.

The ritual we use to help Meeshoites understand “User First” is - “Listen or Die”.

Understanding “User-First”

What does it mean to be User-First? It boils down to knowing your product is built for your users and centring a business on this idea.

We cannot make any assumptions about users’ lives, needs, and expectations. We talk to users, observe, and understand needs. The results will invariably alert us to the things we may have taken for granted.

But, it's not always easy to shed assumptions and stereotypes. We must consciously exercise being user-first and keep at it until user obsession becomes a part of our DNA. This is why we have the “ritual” of Listen or Die. It prompts us to put our users first until we start doing it without any prompts.

How to… Listen or Die?

Listen or Die has existed in some shape or form for years. But it wasn’t until 2021 it became our ritual. The idea is to have every new joinee speak with a list of our customers/ suppliers/ resellers to understand issues, take feedback.

There was a two-fold aim to this exercise:

  • Every individual begins talking to customers/suppliers/resellers to know the many pain points they have - we were backing empathy early on.
  • Along with business insights, this sets the stage for new joinees to ask questions related to their respective functions.

What happens after this exercise? Individuals share findings during our weekly “Listen or Die” sessions with our leadership.

You get two minutes to present findings, and three minutes to showcase a deep understanding of the insights gathered. Some of these insights are used by Meesho to better our overall offerings.

The ones who Listen 😍

The Listen or Die ritual gives folks the opportunity to create impact as soon as they join us.

Above all, speaking to our multiple stakeholders bakes in empathy from new joinees. Because we operate in tier 2/3/4 markets, understanding the needs of our customers is critical to our success. After all, our shopping patterns might reflect our spending powers, this potentially dissuades us to think from the point of view of those who don’t exhibit similar attributes. Listen or Die solves that.

Call out: This is not only for new joinees. EVERY Meeshoite is encouraged to do this exercise once every 6 months. This keeps us hungry to understand our customers and solve their unique challenges.

Want to work for a product that is centred on user satisfaction? Join us!