The way we work,
live, and grow
together.

Everything in this handbook.

46 sections across 7 chapters. Roughly 55 minutes to read end-to-end. Use the sidebar to jump directly to any section, or browse the full map below.

Something important begins today.

You are now part of Sofueled. That is not a small thing. This company exists because a group of people decided that creative work deserved to be done with more rigour, more honesty, and more ambition than most organisations are willing to sustain. You were brought here because someone believed you share that conviction.

This handbook is not the fine print at the bottom of your offer letter. It is the full picture of what working here actually looks like - the expectations, the commitments, the benefits, and the standards we hold ourselves to. Read it as you would read any important agreement: carefully, completely, and with the freedom to question anything that does not make sense.

This document will change as we do. When something is no longer true, we will update it. When a policy falls short of our values, we will fix it. If you read something here that does not match the reality of working at Sofueled, that is worth raising - not quietly, but directly.

A Note on This Document

Read it fully in your first week. After that, use the sidebar to find what you need. For anything not covered here, the answer is a conversation - not an assumption. Write to communication@sofueled.com or walk to the nearest manager's desk. Either works.

A reason to exist that goes beyond the invoice.

Sofueled was built on a specific and stubborn belief: that the distance between a good idea and the world seeing it clearly is almost always a creative problem, not a resource problem. We close that distance for the people and organisations we work with.

We are a creative company rooted in Goa, operating without borders. We work with brands that want to be understood, not just seen - clients who know that the right word, the right image, the right moment of contact is worth more than a thousand impressions from the wrong one.

Vision

To be the creative partner that ambitious Indian and global brands reach for when the work genuinely matters - because we have earned a reputation for delivering clarity, not just content.

How We Decide

When choices are unclear, we ask two questions: does this raise the quality of our work, and does it treat the people involved - colleagues, clients, collaborators - with genuine respect? Both must be true. Either alone is not enough.

Six things we will not negotiate on.

These values were not written to look good on a wall. They are the criteria we use when a decision is genuinely hard. Every person joining Sofueled is assessed against them. Every leader is held accountable to them. They are, in the truest sense, the rules of this place.

High trust. High standards. No theatre.

Sofueled does not measure dedication in hours visible to a manager. We measure it in outcomes - work that reaches the standard we set for ourselves, delivered when we said it would be. The systems, hours, and methods you use to get there are largely yours to choose.

Core Hours

One commitment is non-negotiable regardless of where you work from: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM IST is our shared overlap window. During these hours, you are reachable, responsive, and present in the work. What you do before 10 or after 5 is your own architecture.

What We Measure

A beautifully timed deliverable that misses the brief is a failure. A late delivery that changes a client's thinking is a conversation worth having. Context matters. We are interested in the quality and consequences of your work, not the optics of your calendar.

Updating This Handbook

Any Sofueled team member can propose a change to this document. Proposals are reviewed at the end of each quarter, discussed at the all-hands that follows, and - when adopted - acknowledged in writing by every employee. Policies written without input from the people they affect are rarely good policies.

Information shared widely is power distributed fairly.

At Sofueled, information is not a privilege of seniority. The person closest to the work often needs context that lives three levels above them, and the person setting strategy needs ground-level signal that rarely travels upward on its own. We build systems - and a culture - that move information across both directions without friction.

Our Primary Tools

• Slack - Async conversation, announcements, and quick decisions. Public channels are the default. If a conversation is happening in DMs that the wider team would benefit from, move it.
• Notion - Where thinking lives permanently. Project briefs, decisions, meeting notes, and institutional knowledge. If it is worth remembering, it belongs in Notion.
• Linear - Where work is tracked. If a task does not exist in Linear, it does not exist on Sofueled's priority list.
• Google Meet - Synchronous conversation. Cameras on as a default signal of presence and respect.

What Transparency Looks Like in Practice

Post project updates before someone asks for them. Share a decision's reasoning alongside the decision itself. When you change direction on something, say why - in the channel where the original direction was announced. The absence of an update is itself a message; make sure it is not the wrong one.

On Feedback

Sofueled does not conduct annual performance reviews. Feedback is continuous - given in the moment, received without defensiveness, and acted on visibly. The standard we hold for feedback is simple: useful, specific, and timely. Everything else is either a conversation or a complaint, and neither belongs in a review cycle.

Calendar Visibility

Your work calendar is shared with the team. Block your focused work windows, your personal commitments, your travel. An accurate calendar is a form of communication - it tells your colleagues when you are available and when you are not, without anyone having to ask.

Where you work from does not determine how seriously we take you.

Sofueled is headquartered in Goa, and built from day one to include people working from anywhere in India - and selectively, from anywhere in the world. Remote is not a concession we make reluctantly. It is a considered choice that expands who we can hire and how we can work.

If You Are in Goa

The office is yours to use every day. For certain categories of work - quarterly planning, new client onboarding, major creative reviews - we expect in-person attendance from Goa-based team members. The energy and legibility of in-person collaboration is genuinely different, and we protect those moments deliberately.

If You Are Remote

• Your workspace should be camera-ready during calls. Background noise, poor lighting, and visible distractions during client-facing meetings are not acceptable defaults.
• Your Slack status should reflect your actual availability. "Do not disturb" when you are focused, "away" when you are offline. Do not leave an active status when you are not working.
• Core hours - 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM IST - are non-negotiable regardless of your local clock. If your timezone makes this unworkable, discuss it with your manager before accepting the role, not after.

Company Gatherings

The full team assembles in person at least twice per year - once mid-year, once at year-end. Attendance at these gatherings is expected. Flights, accommodation, and all logistics are covered. These are not perks. They are the intervals at which the connective tissue of a distributed team gets rebuilt.

Meet to decide. Not to update. Not to think out loud.

Every meeting at Sofueled represents a collective cost. Ten people in a one-hour meeting is ten hours of work interrupted. We treat that cost seriously. The bar for calling a meeting is: this outcome requires synchronous human presence and cannot be achieved through documentation or async exchange.

Non-Negotiable Standards

• An agenda exists before the invite goes out. No agenda means no meeting. Receiving an invite without one gives you the right to decline and ask for one first.
• Meetings start exactly when scheduled. The organiser's job is to begin on time. Every participant's job is to be ready before that moment.
• Every meeting produces a written output. The organiser owns a summary of decisions and next steps, shared in the relevant Notion page within 24 hours.
• Cameras default to on for groups of ten or fewer. It is not a vanity requirement - it changes the quality of attention in the room.
• Fridays are meeting-free. This is the protected day for deep work, creative thinking, and everything that needs unbroken time. Do not schedule meetings on Fridays without a genuinely exceptional reason.

Protecting Focused Time

Sustained creative and analytical work cannot be done in 45-minute windows between calls. We block time in shared calendars for focused work, and we respect those blocks in others' calendars the way we would respect a booked meeting room - which is to say, we do not walk in uninvited.

Forty-five minutes, every two weeks, yours entirely.

One-on-ones at Sofueled are not performance check-ins dressed in conversational clothing. They are genuinely yours - time ring-fenced for the things that matter to you and that do not belong in a public channel or a project update. Your manager's job in this meeting is to listen more than they speak.

What Belongs in a One-on-One

• What is going well and deserves acknowledgment.
• What is grinding against you - in the work, in the team, in the environment.
• Where you want to be in twelve months, and what the gap looks like from where you stand.
• Anything that does not have a natural forum elsewhere.

Making the Most of Them

Prepare. Keep a running list in Notion or Notes between meetings - half a thought added each day accumulates into a substantive conversation. The more specific your questions and observations, the more your manager can actually do with them. Vague concerns yield vague responses; particular ones get solved.

If your one-on-one cadence is not working for you - too infrequent, too brief, or not productive - say so directly to your manager. The default is every two weeks for 45 minutes. Everything about that default is adjustable.

What you earn here is a number we can both look at without embarrassment.

Using the word "culture" as a substitute for a fair salary is something we have decided not to do. Sofueled pays at or above the median for comparable roles in the Indian creative and technology sector - calibrated annually against current market data, not against what we paid last year.

Salary Bands

Every role sits within a documented salary band tied to level and scope. These bands are not confidential. You know exactly where your compensation sits within the range, what the top of the range looks like, and what reaching it requires. We use data from platforms such as AmbitionBox, Glassdoor India, and sector-specific surveys to keep bands honest.

Annual Review Cycle

Salaries are reviewed in Q1 of each year. The inputs are straightforward: how has the market moved, how has your scope grown, and how has your performance been assessed over the past year. These three questions are answered separately - we do not conflate the performance conversation with the pay conversation, because doing so corrupts both.

Performance Bonuses

Senior and leadership roles carry performance bonuses tied to company and individual objectives declared at the start of each year. The terms are explicit - if the targets are met, the bonus is paid. There is no subjectivity applied at the point of payment.

When the company grows, the people who built it should benefit.

Sofueled issues ESOPs - Employee Stock Option Plans - to all full-time employees. This is not a retention gimmick. It is a structural acknowledgment that the value of this company is created by the people working here, and that those people deserve a claim on it.

How ESOPs Work

An ESOP grants you the right to purchase shares in Sofueled at the price set on the date of your grant. If the company's valuation grows, the difference between your grant price and the current value is your gain. Options are governed by the Sofueled ESOP Plan document, which is available to all employees.

Vesting

All grants follow a four-year vesting schedule with a one-year cliff.

• No options vest in your first twelve months.
• Twenty-five percent vest on your first anniversary.
• The remaining seventy-five percent vest in equal monthly instalments across the following thirty-six months.

What Your Grant Actually Means

The number of options matters less than the percentage of the company they represent. Your offer letter shows both. We will provide the context you need to understand potential value under plausible scenarios - and we will do it honestly, without inflating projections.

Tax treatment of ESOPs in India is specific and has changed in recent years. We strongly recommend consulting a chartered accountant before making exercise decisions. We can facilitate introductions.

Good health coverage is not a luxury addition to a compensation package. It is part of the package.

Sofueled provides group health insurance for all full-time employees, their spouses, children, and dependent parents from day one of employment. The premium is fully paid by the company.

Provident Fund & Gratuity

Sofueled contributes to your Employee Provident Fund (EPF) as mandated by Indian law - 12% of basic salary, matched by the company. After five years of continuous service, you are entitled to gratuity as per the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972. These are not perks; they are your statutory entitlements, and we administer them without delay or dispute.

NPS Top-Up

Employees who opt into the National Pension System (NPS) receive an additional employer contribution of 10% of basic salary - beyond the statutory minimums - as part of Sofueled's commitment to your long-term financial security.

Take the time. Do not make us ask you to.

Sofueled operates flexible, unlimited paid leave. There is no annual quota to fill, no days to accrue, and no approval committee. The only thing standing between you and time off is a conversation with your manager and reasonable advance notice for longer absences.

How Leave Works

• Absences of three or more consecutive days require one week's notice to your manager.
• Absences of two or more weeks require at least one month's advance notice and a transition plan for your active projects.
• There is no form. There is no approval required. There is only communication and coverage.
• Historically, team members take four to five weeks of leave annually. If you are taking significantly less, your manager will notice and ask why.

Public Holidays

Sofueled follows the Indian national and Goa state holiday calendar. Full details - including provisions for team members from other states - are in the Holidays & Leave Calendar section.

Sick Leave

Illness is not a leave category that requires justification or documentation for absences under five days. Send your manager a message, ensure urgent work is handed over, and focus on recovering. For absences beyond five days, a medical certificate may be requested - not as a condition of care, but for statutory HR records.

Time to celebrate, rest, and honor where we come from.

Sofueled is headquartered in Goa. Our holiday calendar is anchored in the Goa state list - a calendar that reflects the rich, plural character of one of India's most culturally layered states. It includes national observances shared across India, Goa-specific celebrations, and provisions for team members from other states to honor their own traditions.

National Holidays (All employees)

Every Sofueled employee observes the following Indian national holidays, regardless of location:

• Republic Day - 26 January
• Holi - as per calendar (typically February/March)
• Good Friday - as per calendar (March/April)
• Ambedkar Jayanti - 14 April
• Independence Day - 15 August
• Gandhi Jayanti - 2 October
• Dussehra - as per calendar (September/October)
• Diwali - as per calendar (October/November)
• Christmas Day - 25 December

Goa State Holidays (Goa-based employees)

Team members based in Goa additionally observe the following:

• Goa Liberation Day - 19 December (marks Goa's liberation from Portuguese rule in 1961 - one of the most significant days on the Goan calendar)
• Carnival - as per calendar (typically February - four days of celebrations unique to Goa)
• Feast of St. Francis Xavier - 3 December
• Konkani New Year (Gudi Padwa) - as per calendar (March/April)
• Eid ul-Fitr - as per calendar
• Eid ul-Adha - as per calendar
• Ganesh Chaturthi - as per calendar (August/September - celebrated with particular passion in Goa)

Employees from Other States

India is a country of extraordinary regional diversity. A team member from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, or West Bengal carries their own calendar of meaning - festivals, harvest days, and regional observances that matter deeply.

Sofueled's policy is simple: if you are from a state other than Goa, you follow your home state's official government holiday list in addition to the national holidays above. You are not required to take Goa-specific holidays that hold no personal significance to you, and you are entitled to observe your own state's gazetted public holidays.

Coordinate your alternate state holidays with your manager at the start of each calendar year by sharing your state's official list. This is a one-time conversation, not a recurring approval process.

Weekend Adjustments

When a gazetted holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is observed as the holiday. When it falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is observed. This applies to national holidays; state-specific adjustments follow the state government's official gazette notification.

Holiday Pay

All holidays listed above are fully paid. No leave balance is deducted. If a critical business need requires you to work on a public holiday, you are entitled to a compensatory day off to be taken within 30 days, confirmed in writing by your manager before the holiday.

Becoming a parent should not cost you your career trajectory.

Sofueled provides 16 weeks of fully paid parental leave to all full-time employees on the birth, adoption, or legal guardianship of a child. The policy applies equally to all genders. A birthing parent, a non-birthing parent, and an adoptive parent receive the same entitlement and the same protection.

Terms

• Leave may begin up to two weeks before the expected date of birth or placement, and must be completed within twelve months of the event.
• It may be taken as a single continuous block or split into two periods, agreed in advance with your manager.
• Sofueled's benefit supplements - not replaces - any state statutory entitlement under the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 or applicable leave law. Where statutory entitlement exceeds our policy, the higher provision applies.
• Your role, compensation level, and seniority are fully protected during leave. Return to an equivalent position is guaranteed.

Additional Protected Leave

Bereavement: Five consecutive paid days on the death of an immediate family member. Extensions beyond five days can be taken against available leave or as unpaid leave, with manager approval. Serious illness of a dependent: Up to ten days per year of paid leave to care for a spouse, child, or dependent parent during hospitalisation or serious illness. Jury or witness duty: Paid leave for the duration of any legally mandated civic service, with official documentation.

Growing people produce growing companies. Not the other way around.

Sofueled allocates ₹1,50,000 per employee per year for professional development - to be spent without bureaucratic friction on anything that genuinely advances your capabilities. This budget resets on 1 January each year and does not carry over. Use it.

Eligible Expenses

• Conference and festival registrations - including IndiaDesignSummit, Kyoorius, JSConf India, and international events where attendance is professionally relevant.
• Online learning platforms: Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, Domestika, Udemy, Skillshare, Reforge, and equivalents.
• Books, audiobooks, and subscriptions to professional journals or databases.
• Coaching, mentorship programmes, and structured peer-learning cohorts.
• Certification examinations and preparation courses in any relevant discipline.

Expenses under ₹5,000

Purchase, submit receipt, get reimbursed. No approval required in advance.

Expenses above ₹5,000

A one-line note to your manager before committing, confirming relevance. Not a committee review - a conversation.

Speaking and Teaching

If you are invited to speak at a conference or workshop, flight, accommodation, and registration are covered up to ₹1,25,000 per engagement - twice per year, drawn from a separate budget that does not touch your learning allowance.

Learning Time

Four hours per week of working time may be directed to structured learning, provided project deadlines are not compromised. This is not informal permission to browse. It is deliberate, scheduled time that your manager knows about.

Four years of contribution earns six weeks of uninterrupted space.

After every four consecutive years at Sofueled, full-time employees are entitled to a six-week fully paid sabbatical. This is not holiday leave accumulated slowly and renamed. It is a deliberate, company-funded investment in your renewal - because people who have been given space to think differently come back and think differently.

Structure

The sabbatical must be built around a central intention - a discipline you want to learn, a country you want to work from, a project that has lived in your head for three years without time to surface. There is no format requirement, but there is an expectation of intentionality. An unplanned six weeks of rest is annual leave, not a sabbatical.

Requirements Before You Leave

• Notify your manager and People Operations at least three months ahead.
• Document a clean handover of all active projects and responsibilities.
• Agree on a communication protocol for the duration - we default to none, but exceptions can be arranged.

When You Return

Within your first month back, you share what you did and what you found - with the team, in whatever format suits the subject. Not a performance. A genuine transfer of something you learned into the room.

The best signal of cultural fit is a team member vouching for someone with their reputation.

Referrals from Sofueled employees consistently produce the strongest hires we make - people who arrive with context, who understand roughly what they are joining, and who have been assessed informally by someone whose judgment we already trust. We pay accordingly.

Referral Bonus

A successful referral - defined as someone you referred who completes ninety days as a full-time employee - earns you ₹50,000, paid in the payroll cycle following the ninety-day mark. No paperwork required beyond the initial submission.

A Note on Who You Refer

The strongest referrals come from people thinking beyond their immediate network. India has enormous creative and technical talent in cities and towns that do not typically produce candidates for companies like ours. We are actively working to change that. Your referral is a more powerful instrument than you may realise.

How to Submit

Email communication@sofueled.com with the candidate's name, the role you think they are suited for, and two sentences on why you are recommending them. We respond within two working days.

Your mental health matters here as much as your output.

Sofueled explicitly acknowledges that emotional wellbeing is not a personal issue separate from work - it is inseparable from the quality of work, the quality of relationships, and the culture we are building. We take it seriously.

Creative work is emotionally demanding. Client pressure, creative rejection, ambiguity, and the pace of growth can take a real toll. Acknowledging that is not weakness - it is honesty.

What We Provide

• Therapy access: Unlimited sessions through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) partner, at zero cost to you. Confidential. No manager involvement. Details in your onboarding packet.
• Mental health days: Covered under our flexible time off policy. You do not need to explain or justify taking a mental health day. "I need a day" is sufficient.
• Wellbeing stipend: The ₹7,500/month wellness budget explicitly covers therapy co-pays, meditation apps, and mental health tools - not just gym memberships.
• Manager training: All people managers at Sofueled complete training on recognizing stress signals, having supportive conversations, and knowing when to refer someone to professional support.

Conversations About Emotional Wellbeing

Your manager is not your therapist - and should not try to be. But they are a person who cares about how you are doing, and it is appropriate to tell them when you are struggling, when the workload is unsustainable, or when something in the environment is affecting your mental health.

If you are in a place where a conversation with your manager does not feel safe, go directly to People Ops. All conversations of this nature are treated with full confidentiality.

Supporting a Colleague

If you are concerned about a colleague - if their behavior has changed significantly, if they have expressed hopelessness or distress, or if you simply have a feeling something is wrong - say something. Tell your manager or People Ops. You do not need to diagnose the problem. You just need to flag it. We would rather over-respond to a false alarm than under-respond to someone who needed support.

How Sofueled sounds - in every format, on every platform.

We are a brand company. How we communicate is not separate from who we are - it is one of the primary ways we demonstrate our value. Everything written under the Sofueled name should be immediately recognizable in tone, quality, and intent. This guide governs all external and public-facing communication - pitches, social posts, website copy, press, case studies, and any content shared under our name.

Our Voice

Sofueled communicates with three consistent qualities:

• Confident, not arrogant. We know what we are good at. We say so directly and without qualification. We do not hedge, apologize for our opinions, or soften every statement into vagueness. We also do not talk down to anyone.
• Sharp, not cold. Our writing is precise and economical - we say exactly what we mean with no excess. But it is warm. There is a human being behind every sentence we write.
• Curious, not performative. We are genuinely interested in the world - in culture, in commerce, in people, in ideas. That curiosity shows in our writing. We do not use enthusiasm as a pose.

Tone Varies by Context

• Client proposals: Authoritative and collaborative. We know what we are proposing. We also know it is a conversation, not a verdict.
• Social media: More playful, more current. Still precise. Never desperate for engagement.
• Press and media: Deliberate and considered. Every quote attributed to Sofueled should sound like something we are proud to have said in five years.
• Internal communications: Direct and human. Skip the corporate filler.

Writing Standards

• We use sentence case for headlines and titles (not Title Case or ALL CAPS unless stylistically intentional).
• We write in active voice. Passive constructions are weaker - avoid them unless they serve a purpose.
• We do not use exclamation points in professional writing. Enthusiasm is expressed through word choice, not punctuation.
• Acronyms and jargon are written out on first use. We write for the reader, not for ourselves.
• One space after a full stop. Always.
• American English is our default. Consistent across all external materials.

What We Never Do

• Use buzzwords as a substitute for thinking ("disruptive," "synergy," "leverage" as a verb, "ecosystem" for everything).
• Over-qualify: "potentially," "might," "perhaps," "sort of" - say it or don't.
• Write in a way that prioritizes sounding smart over being understood.
• Use stock language for sensitive topics. If we write about diversity, inequality, or social issues - we say something real, or we say nothing.

Publishing Checklist

Before any external content goes live - proposals, posts, articles, case studies - run through this:

• Is every factual claim accurate and verified?
• Has a second set of eyes reviewed it for clarity and tone?
• Does it sound like us - not like a template?
• Would we be comfortable if a competitor or journalist read this?
• Is client or partner information included with their explicit approval?

You represent Sofueled everywhere - including online.

When you join Sofueled, you become part of a brand that people notice. How you show up publicly - on LinkedIn, Instagram, X, and anywhere else - reflects on the company, the work, and your colleagues. We want you to be proud and visible. We also want you to be thoughtful.

Announcing Your Role

When you start at Sofueled, we encourage you to share it. A LinkedIn update, an Instagram post, a tweet - tell the world where you are. When you do, please:

• Tag @sofueled on Instagram and LinkedIn so we can amplify it.
• Use the official company name: Sofueled (colon and space included).
• Keep it authentic - a sentence that's genuinely yours beats a press-release tone every time.
• Feel free to describe your role and what you're excited about. Do not share unreleased client work, campaign details, or internal strategies.

Ongoing Social Presence

• When sharing work publicly (with client approval), tag Sofueled and use #Sofueled.
• If you write about industry topics, trends, or creative work - we encourage it. It builds your profile and ours.
• Never share confidential client briefs, internal financials, unreleased work, or personal data about colleagues or clients - on any platform, ever.
• If in doubt about whether something is shareable, ask your manager before posting.

Personal vs. Professional Voice

Your personal accounts are your own. You may have political views, personal opinions, and a life outside work - and you are entitled to express them. What we ask is that when you post on personal accounts in a professional context, you make clear you're speaking for yourself, not for Sofueled.

Content that violates our Code of Conduct - harassment, discrimination, slurs, or targeted abuse of any person - is not acceptable regardless of whether it's posted on a personal or professional account.

Media Inquiries

If a journalist, podcaster, or media outlet contacts you about Sofueled, route the inquiry to communication@sofueled.com before responding. Do not speak on behalf of the company without authorization.

How we write and speak matters as much as what we say.

Sofueled is a creative company. How we communicate - internally and externally - is a direct expression of our craft. Sloppy communication signals sloppy thinking. We hold ourselves to a higher standard - not because we are rigid, but because clarity and care are forms of respect.

Written Communication - What We Do

• Proofread before you send. Every email, Slack message, client deck, and document that leaves your hands carries your name and our brand. Read it once before hitting send.
• Use complete sentences in client-facing communication. Fragments and shorthand are fine internally; they are not appropriate in emails, proposals, or reports to clients.
• Use proper capitalization and punctuation. "hey can we chat tmrw" is fine in a quick Slack DM to a colleague. It is not acceptable in an email to a client or senior stakeholder.
• Structure longer messages. If an email exceeds three paragraphs, consider whether headers or bullet points would make it easier to read. Respect the reader's time.
• Be specific about asks. "Can you take a look at this?" is not a useful request. "Can you review the brand brief by EOD Thursday and flag any strategic concerns?" is.

What We Don't Do

• No typos in client-facing work. A single typo in a proposal or presentation is avoidable. Use spell check. Have someone else review important documents before they go out.
• No unexplained shorthand with clients. "EOD," "TL;DR," and "ASAP" are widely understood - but "OKR deck needs LGTM before EOW" sent to a client is not professional communication.
• No one-word email replies to complex threads. "Sure." and "OK." do not move work forward. Acknowledge, confirm specifics, or ask a clarifying question.
• No writing in all lowercase for professional correspondence. It reads as casual at best, careless at worst.
• No long emails that could be a 5-minute conversation. If you're writing a paragraph-long email to schedule something, pick up the phone or open a Slack DM.

Tone

Sofueled's tone is direct, warm, and intelligent. We don't use corporate filler ("please don't hesitate to reach out," "as per my last email," "circling back"). We say what we mean, we say it clearly, and we say it with care.

In difficult conversations - feedback, disagreement, problem-solving - we stay calm, stay specific, and stay focused on outcomes rather than blame.

The behaviors that have no place here.

Most of what makes a great workplace can be described positively. But some things are important to name directly - not to create a culture of surveillance, but because clarity on what's not acceptable is a form of respect for everyone on the team.

In Client Work

• Don't overpromise. If a deadline is not achievable, say so before you miss it - not after. A well-communicated delay is recoverable. A surprise failure is not.
• Don't submit first drafts as final work. Every deliverable that goes to a client should have been reviewed at least once - by you, and ideally by a colleague.
• Don't present work you don't believe in. If a brief leads you somewhere creatively weak, push back internally before the client presentation. Presenting mediocre work wastes everyone's time.
• Don't make commitments on behalf of the company without authorization. Scope, budget, timeline, and resource commitments require manager sign-off before being communicated externally.

In Team Dynamics

• Don't go silent. If you're blocked, overwhelmed, or missing a deadline - communicate early. Silence is the most expensive response to a problem.
• Don't blame colleagues in client-facing settings. If something went wrong internally, we present a united front externally and resolve it internally with honesty.
• Don't copy-reply-all unnecessarily. Think before you add people to threads. Inbox noise is a real cost.
• Don't schedule meetings that could be a Slack message, a Notion doc, or a 5-minute call.
• Don't work in isolation on something that affects the team. If your work touches other people's work, loop them in before it becomes a problem.

In Representing the Brand

• Don't use personal email for business correspondence. All client and vendor communication must come from your @sofueled.com address.
• Don't share client materials with unauthorized third parties. This includes agencies, contractors, or personal acquaintances - regardless of intent.
• Don't use Sofueled's name, logo, or reputation for personal commercial benefit.
• Don't post negative, disparaging, or sarcastic content about clients or competitors on any public platform, even anonymously.

In General Conduct

• Don't sign up for commitments you can't keep to avoid an uncomfortable conversation now.
• Don't assume silence means agreement. Confirm explicitly.
• Don't confuse being busy with being productive. Activity is not output. Impact is.
• Don't undermine decisions once they've been made. Debate before the decision. Execute after it.
• Don't bring personal conflicts into the workplace. Everyone has hard days. Professionalism means not letting them become someone else's problem.

Every client call is recorded and transcribed. No exceptions.

Sofueled uses a call recording and transcription system on all client and team calls. This is not optional - it is a core operational standard. Recordings protect everyone: our clients, our team, and the integrity of every commitment made on a call.

Why We Record

• Accuracy: Notes taken during a call are incomplete by nature. A transcript captures everything - every agreement, every scope change, every piece of client feedback.
• Accountability: When there is a dispute about what was agreed, we have a source of truth. This protects us and our clients equally.
• Continuity: Team members who couldn't attend a call can review a full transcript rather than relying on second-hand summaries.
• Training & Quality: Recordings are used to coach communication, improve client management skills, and set a standard for how calls should run.

Your Responsibilities

• Disclose at the start of every call that the call is being recorded and transcribed. This is a legal requirement in many jurisdictions, including India (particularly the Information Technology Act, 2000 and applicable state laws). Use the standard opening: "Before we get started - this call is being recorded and transcribed for our records. Is that okay with everyone?"
• Do not proceed if a participant objects. If a client or participant declines recording, stop the recording immediately, note the call manually, and inform your manager.
• Ensure the recording tool is active before the call begins. Do not rely on starting it mid-call.
• Store recordings in the designated client folder in our project management system within 24 hours of the call.

Approved Tools

We use Fathom as our primary call recording and AI transcription platform across Google Meet and Zoom. All recordings are automatically synced to the relevant client project in Notion. Do not use personal or third-party recording apps without explicit approval from your manager.

Access and Retention

Recordings and transcripts are accessible to the account team and relevant leadership. They are retained for 24 months, then archived. Client transcripts are confidential - they may not be shared outside the account team without manager approval and, where applicable, client consent.

Dress for the context. Represent the brand.

Sofueled does not have a uniform. We are a creative company, and personal style is an expression of the creativity we value. That said, how we present ourselves in client-facing settings is part of the brand experience we deliver - and we hold ourselves to a standard.

In the Office - Day to Day

Wear what lets you do your best work. Smart casual is the norm. There are no rules about colour, cut, or labels. What we ask is that your appearance in the office reflects the care and intention we put into our work - not sloppy, not careless, not distracting to others.

Client Meetings and Presentations

When meeting clients in person or presenting work in a formal setting, dress one notch above your everyday. If you are unsure what is appropriate for a specific client or occasion, ask your manager before the day of the meeting. "Business creative" - polished but with personality - is a reliable default.

Remote and Video Calls

Camera-on calls are a professional setting. Dress as you would for an in-office day. Being on camera in a way that appears unprepared - bed hair, pajamas, visibly just-woken-up - in a client or cross-company call is not the standard we hold ourselves to. Internal team calls are less formal, but use judgment.

Company Events

Specific dress guidance will be provided for offsites, client events, and external brand activations when relevant. When attending industry events as a Sofueled representative, dress in a way that you are comfortable being identified as being from the company.

If clothing-related accommodations are needed for religious, medical, or personal reasons, speak with People Ops - we will always find a respectful solution.

Maintain a clear head. Respect everyone's comfort.

Sofueled maintains a workplace that is safe, professional, and comfortable for all employees. Our policy on substances is grounded in respect - for your colleagues' wellbeing, for our clients, and for the quality of our work.

Alcohol

Alcohol is permitted at company-hosted events and team dinners in reasonable quantities. Each individual is responsible for their own consumption and for ensuring that their behavior never makes a colleague feel unsafe or uncomfortable. Excessive intoxication in a professional context is not acceptable.

Illegal Substances

The use, possession, sale, or distribution of illegal substances during work hours, on company premises, or at company events is strictly prohibited and constitutes grounds for immediate termination. "Illegal" is defined according to the laws of the jurisdiction in which you are working.

Prescription Medications

Employees taking prescription medications that may affect their performance or judgment are encouraged to speak confidentially with People Ops about any accommodations that may be appropriate.

The same door, the same chance, for every person who walks through it.

Sofueled does not discriminate against candidates or employees on the basis of caste, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, pregnancy, national origin, linguistic background, age, or any other characteristic protected under the Constitution of India or applicable employment law. This covers hiring, compensation, promotion, access to opportunity, and the conditions of day-to-day work.

We do not state this because we are required to. We state it because we have made active choices - in how we write job descriptions, where we recruit, how we conduct interviews, and how we run compensation cycles - to move closer to the standard it describes.

Accommodations

If you require a working adjustment to perform your role effectively - related to disability, health condition, religious observance, or any other relevant circumstance - write to communication@sofueled.com. These conversations are treated as confidential. We will find a workable arrangement without drama and without delay.

How we treat each other is non-negotiable.

Sofueled is committed to an environment where every person - employee, contractor, client, or collaborator - is treated with dignity and respect. Our Code of Conduct applies at all times: in the office, on remote calls, at company events, in client interactions, and in any professional setting where you represent Sofueled.

What We Expect

• Treat every person you interact with as a capable, valued human being.
• Engage in debate and disagreement with ideas, not with personal attacks.
• Speak up when you witness conduct that violates these standards.
• Be mindful of power dynamics - position, tenure, and reputation affect what feels "safe" for others to say.

Prohibited Conduct

The following are grounds for immediate corrective action, up to and including termination:

• Harassment of any kind - verbal, physical, visual, or digital.
• Unwanted sexual attention, innuendo, or contact.
• Discriminatory language, jokes, or behavior targeting protected characteristics.
• Intimidation, bullying, or conduct designed to demean or isolate.
• Retaliation against anyone who reports a concern in good faith.

Reporting

Report conduct concerns to communication@sofueled.com, directly to any member of the leadership team, or through our anonymous reporting channel (details in your onboarding packet). All reports are investigated promptly, confidentially, and without judgment. Retaliation for good-faith reports is itself a terminable offense.

If an executive is named in the report, it escalates directly to the Board of Directors.

Zero tolerance is not a slogan. It is a standard.

Sofueled has a dedicated policy on sexual harassment that exists separately from our broader Code of Conduct because it warrants explicit, standalone attention. Sexual harassment is pervasive in the creative industry. We are actively building a company where it has no place - and where people who experience it know exactly what to do.

What Constitutes Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment includes any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that creates a hostile, intimidating, or offensive work environment. It includes - but is not limited to:

• Unwelcome sexual advances, propositions, or requests for sexual favors.
• Sexually suggestive comments, jokes, innuendo, or gestures - in person, in writing, or digitally.
• Unsolicited sharing of sexual content, imagery, or material.
• Physical contact of a sexual nature without consent.
• Comments about someone's body, appearance, or perceived sexuality in a sexual or demeaning context.
• Quid pro quo - explicitly or implicitly linking professional outcomes (promotion, assignment, review) to sexual compliance.

Harassment does not require physical contact. It does not require that the target said "no" explicitly. It does not require that multiple people witnessed it. One incident can constitute harassment if it is severe enough.

Reporting

If you experience or witness sexual harassment:

• Report to People Ops at communication@sofueled.com.
• Report anonymously via the link in your onboarding packet.
• Report directly to any member of the leadership team who is not the subject of the complaint.
• If the CEO is the subject of the complaint, report directly to the Board of Directors.

You will be taken seriously. The investigation will be conducted promptly, confidentially, and impartially. You will not be retaliated against for reporting in good faith. Ever.

Investigation and Consequences

All reports are investigated. Substantiated harassment results in disciplinary action up to and including immediate termination, regardless of the seniority of the person involved. Seniority, client relationships, and revenue contribution are not mitigating factors.

Personal relationships at work - handled with maturity and transparency.

Sofueled is a place where people spend significant time together on meaningful, often emotionally engaging work. Close friendships and, occasionally, romantic relationships will form. We do not prohibit this. We do ask that when they happen, they are handled with transparency, professionalism, and a clear-eyed understanding of the responsibilities involved.

Romantic Relationships Between Colleagues

• Romantic relationships between employees are permitted, with the exception of direct reporting relationships (see below).
• If you enter a romantic relationship with a colleague, disclose it to People Ops. This is not to create a record against you - it is to allow us to proactively manage any potential conflicts of interest before they become problems.
• Do not allow a personal relationship to affect professional judgment, project assignments, performance feedback, or compensation decisions for your partner.
• The relationship remains subject to our Code of Conduct. The same standards for respectful behavior apply between partners as between any two colleagues.

Direct Reporting Relationships

Romantic relationships between a manager and a direct report are not permitted. The inherent power imbalance in these relationships - regardless of how mutual the feelings are - creates risks that are not manageable in a professional context. If such a relationship develops, one person must move to a role outside the direct reporting line before the relationship continues. Speak to People Ops immediately - we will find a solution that respects everyone.

Relationships with Clients and Vendors

Romantic relationships with current clients or key vendors require disclosure to your manager. Where a conflict of interest exists or could be perceived, the account relationship may need to be reassigned. This is not a judgment - it is a protection for everyone involved.

If a Relationship Ends

Professional conduct is expected regardless of the personal history between two people. If a ended relationship is creating workplace tension, speak to People Ops confidentially. We will help manage any necessary changes to working arrangements with discretion and fairness to both parties.

The nature of the relationship, stated plainly.

Employment at Sofueled is governed by Indian labour law - principally the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, the Shops and Establishments Act of the relevant state, and the terms of your individual employment agreement. Your offer letter and employment contract are the binding documents. This handbook describes culture and policy; it does not substitute for those agreements.

Either party may end the employment relationship in accordance with the notice period specified in your employment contract - typically 30 to 90 days depending on your level. Sofueled will honour its obligations under applicable law, including settlement of all statutory dues, full and final settlement, and issuance of a relieving letter within 30 days of separation.

We invest significantly in the people we hire, and we do not end employment lightly or arbitrarily. Separations at Sofueled - whether initiated by the employee or the company - are handled with clarity, dignity, and respect for the law.

Company tools are company property.

Communication tools provided by Sofueled - email, Slack, Notion, Google Workspace, and any other company-managed platform - are business resources. The company reserves the right to access and review communications conducted through these systems for legitimate business purposes, including compliance, security, and investigation of misconduct.

Acceptable Use

Company tools are provided for professional work. Incidental personal use is tolerated; systematic personal use is not. The following are prohibited on company systems at all times:

• Harassment, discrimination, or threatening communications of any kind.
• Sharing confidential company or client information outside of authorized channels.
• Accessing or distributing illegal content.
• Using company credentials or resources for personal commercial activity.

Security Obligations

You are responsible for the security of your accounts and devices. Use strong, unique passwords. Enable two-factor authentication on all company accounts. Report suspected security incidents immediately to communication@sofueled.com. Never share your credentials with anyone - including colleagues.

Protect what's not yours to share.

As part of your role at Sofueled, you will have access to information that is proprietary, sensitive, or strategic. Your obligation to protect that information applies during your employment and continues after it ends.

What Is Confidential

• Client identities, briefs, strategies, and financial details.
• Unreleased creative work, campaign concepts, and brand strategies.
• Financial data, investor information, and fundraising strategy.
• Personnel records, compensation data, and performance information.
• Technology infrastructure, security systems, and credentials.
• Information received from clients or partners under NDA.

What Is Public

Anything explicitly marked as public-facing, released through official Sofueled channels, or cleared for external sharing by your manager. When in doubt, treat it as confidential and ask.

After You Leave

Your confidentiality obligations survive the end of your employment. You may not use, disclose, or exploit confidential information you accessed as an employee for any purpose after departure. You will be asked to sign a confidentiality and IP assignment agreement on your first day.

Speak up. We are listening.

Sofueled is committed to resolving workplace concerns promptly, fairly, and confidentially. If you experience or witness conduct that violates our policies - harassment, discrimination, safety concerns, retaliation, or any other workplace issue - you have multiple ways to raise it.

How to Report

• Direct report to People Ops: communication@sofueled.com
• Speak with any member of leadership - our doors are open, not just our inboxes.
• Anonymous reporting: available via the link in your onboarding packet.

Investigation Process

Every complaint is reviewed within 48 hours of receipt. Investigations are conducted impartially, with confidentiality maintained to the extent possible. If an executive is named in a complaint, the matter escalates to the Board. We may engage external investigators for complex or sensitive cases.

No Retaliation - Ever

Retaliation against anyone who files a complaint, participates in an investigation, or reports a concern in good faith is strictly prohibited and constitutes its own grounds for disciplinary action. We mean this without reservation.

We invest in where you are going, not just where you are.

At Sofueled, career growth is not something that happens to you at review time. It is an ongoing, collaborative process between you and your manager - one built on clarity about what great looks like at each level, honest assessment of where you are, and a shared commitment to closing the gap.

We do not have a rigid org chart with fixed rungs. We have a framework - a shared language for what excellence means at different stages of a career - and we use it to make conversations about growth concrete, fair, and actionable.

The Three Dimensions of Growth

Regardless of discipline, growth at Sofueled is measured across three dimensions:

• Craft - The quality and depth of your core skill. For a designer, this is visual thinking and execution. For a strategist, it is insight and clarity. For an engineer, it is system design and code quality. Craft is the foundation everything else rests on.
• Collaboration - How effectively you work with others - clients, colleagues, cross-functional partners. Growth here means moving from being guided to guiding, from receiving context to creating it for others.
• Impact - The scope and consequence of your work. Early-career impact is within a project. Senior impact is across projects, across the team, and increasingly across the company and the industry.

Career Levels

We use five levels across all disciplines. Each level has a clear description of what someone doing great work at that level looks like - not a checklist, but a portrait.

• Level 1 - Associate: Develops craft under close guidance. Delivers well-scoped tasks with support. Asks good questions. Learns faster than expected.
• Level 2 - Mid: Works independently on defined scopes. Contributes reliably to team output. Identifies problems before being asked to solve them.
• Level 3 - Senior: Owns complex work end to end. Elevates the people around them. Trusted on client-facing decisions. Sets standards for craft within their discipline.
• Level 4 - Lead: Shapes direction across multiple projects or teams. Builds systems and practices that outlast individual projects. Mentors others with intentionality.
• Level 5 - Principal / Director: Operates at company level. Sets the creative and strategic direction for a discipline. Builds the culture of their function. Represents Sofueled externally.

Growth is Not Automatic

Time at the company does not move you between levels. Demonstrated impact does. Promotions are driven by a consistent pattern of performing at the next level - not a single great project, and not tenure alone.

Your manager's job is to make the path clear, remove blockers, and advocate for your growth. Your job is to do the work, seek feedback actively, and tell your manager when you want to move.

Assessment Cycles

Formal growth assessments happen twice per year - in January and July. Between cycles, your manager tracks signal continuously and shares it with you. No assessment outcome should ever be a surprise. If it is, that is a failure of the feedback process, not just the assessment.

Ambitious goals, honest measurement.

Sofueled uses Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) to align the company around what matters most each quarter. OKRs are not performance reviews in disguise. They are a shared map - a way of saying, as a company and as individuals, here is what success looks like for the next 90 days.

How OKRs Work

• Objectives are qualitative, aspirational, and direction-setting. They answer the question: what do we want to achieve? An objective should be inspiring enough that it matters if you hit it.
• Key Results are quantitative and specific. They answer: how will we know we got there? Each objective has 2-4 key results. If you can't measure it, it is not a key result.

Company OKRs

Company-level OKRs are set by the leadership team at the start of each quarter and shared with the full company in the first all-hands of the quarter. They represent our collective priorities - where we are pointing the ship. Everything else should connect back to these.

Team and Individual OKRs

Each team sets OKRs that align with the company objectives. Individual OKRs are optional but encouraged - particularly for people at Level 3 and above who want clarity on what a strong quarter looks like for them personally.

Individual OKRs are set collaboratively with your manager in the first two weeks of each quarter. They should reflect genuine ambition - if you hit 70% of a well-set OKR, that is a strong outcome. Hitting 100% every quarter usually means your goals were not ambitious enough.

Quarterly Rhythm

• Week 1-2: OKRs set at company, team, and individual levels.
• Week 6: Mid-quarter check-in - are we on track? What needs to change?
• Week 12-13: End-of-quarter review and scoring. Learnings shared at all-hands.

Scoring

Key Results are scored 0.0 to 1.0 at quarter end. A score of 0.7 is excellent. 1.0 means you set the goal too low. 0.3 or below triggers a reflection: what got in the way, and what do we learn from it?

Feedback is how we get better. Say it directly.

Sofueled does not have annual performance reviews. We have a culture of continuous, direct feedback - the kind that actually changes behavior rather than sitting in a file until the end of the year. Feedback here is not a formal event. It is a daily practice.

Giving Feedback

Good feedback is specific, timely, and behavior-focused. It describes what happened, what the impact was, and - where relevant - what a better approach might look like. It does not speculate about intent or character.

• Be specific: "That deck was unclear" is not feedback. "The strategy section on slides 7-10 didn't give the client a clear recommendation - they were left choosing between three equally-weighted options" is feedback.
• Be timely: Feedback given the same day is ten times more useful than feedback given at a quarterly review. The closer to the event, the more actionable it is.
• Be direct: Softening feedback into irrelevance is a disservice. If something needs to change, say so clearly. Assume the other person is capable of hearing it.
• Assume good intent: Almost every mistake comes from a knowledge gap, not a character flaw. Start from that assumption.

Receiving Feedback

• Listen fully before responding. Resist the urge to explain or defend immediately.
• Ask clarifying questions if something is unclear - not to challenge, but to understand.
• Thank the person for saying it. Honest feedback takes courage to give.
• Decide what to do with it after the conversation, not during it.

Upward Feedback

Managers at Sofueled actively seek feedback from the people they manage. This is not performative - it is how we hold leadership accountable to the same standards we hold everyone else to. If your manager is not asking, offer it anyway. If the 1:1 does not feel like a safe space for honest upward feedback, raise it with People Ops.

360 Feedback

Twice per year, aligned with our assessment cycles, we run structured 360 feedback rounds. You will be asked to give feedback on peers and receive a compiled, anonymized summary of theirs. These are inputs to your growth conversation - not scores, not rankings.

Career Conversations

Distinct from regular 1:1s and feedback, a Career Conversation is a longer, dedicated session (at least 60 minutes, once per quarter) focused entirely on your trajectory. Where are you going? What do you need? What is getting in the way? Your manager prepares for this conversation as seriously as you do. Come with specific questions about your growth, your level, and your future at Sofueled.

We address problems directly - with honesty and with care.

Underperformance is uncomfortable to name. We do it anyway - because leaving it unnamed is worse for everyone: the individual, the team, and the company. When performance is consistently below what the role requires, Sofueled has a clear, humane, and fair process for addressing it.

No one should ever be surprised by a formal performance conversation. By the time we are discussing underperformance formally, there will have been multiple prior conversations about the gap and genuine effort to close it.

Before a PIP - Coaching First

The first response to underperformance is always coaching - not documentation. Managers are expected to:

• Name the performance gap specifically and early, in a 1:1.
• Clarify what "good" looks like and agree on a timeline to get there.
• Identify what support, resources, or change in conditions might help.
• Check in frequently - weekly, not monthly - during the coaching period.

If after a genuine coaching period (typically 4-8 weeks) the performance gap persists, a formal Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) is initiated with People Ops involved from that point forward.

The Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)

A PIP is not a termination notice. It is a structured, time-bounded commitment from both sides: Sofueled commits to clear expectations and active support; the employee commits to measurable improvement by a defined date.

A PIP will specify:

• The specific performance gaps being addressed.
• The measurable outcomes expected and the timeline (typically 30-60 days).
• The support and resources the company will provide.
• The check-in cadence during the plan period.
• What happens if the plan is successfully completed - and what happens if it is not.

Outcomes

PIPs have two possible outcomes. If expectations are met, the PIP closes and the employee continues in their role - ideally with renewed clarity and confidence. If expectations are not met, the company will move toward separation. Separation from a PIP is handled with dignity - appropriate notice, a fair final settlement, and a respectful offboarding process.

Letting Someone Go

When separation is necessary - whether through a PIP outcome or a business restructure - we handle it with the same care we would want for ourselves. The person is told clearly, respectfully, and in private. References are handled fairly. Offboarding is organized and dignified. We do not walk people out the door without allowing them to say goodbye.

We hire slowly and trust completely.

Every hire at Sofueled changes the composition of our team permanently. We take that seriously. Our process is thorough not because we are bureaucratic, but because a great hire elevates everyone around them - and a poor one has the opposite effect.

What We Look For

Skills can be taught. Character cannot. We look for people who are curious, direct, accountable, and who genuinely care about the quality of their work. Beyond craft, we screen for alignment with our values, because skills without values don't thrive here.

Diversity in Sourcing

We recruit across three channels - referrals, outbound sourcing, and inbound applications. For each channel, we actively counteract the bias toward hiring people who look and think like us. We recruit from historically underrepresented communities, partner with organizations that expand access to our industry, and track diversity metrics across every stage of our funnel.

Referrals with Intention

We love referrals - and we ask you to think expansively when making them. Who in your network brings a perspective we don't have? Who would challenge our thinking? Who would be great here precisely because they're different from the people already here?

Responding to Applicants

Every application to Sofueled receives a human response within 3 business days. Candidates invest time and hope in applying - the least we can do is acknowledge them promptly and treat them with respect at every stage, regardless of outcome.

A two-way evaluation from the first conversation.

Our interview process is designed to surface genuine signal about skill, character, and fit - while giving candidates a clear-eyed view of what working here is actually like. We do not use trick questions, false urgency, or deliberate stress tactics. Brilliant people don't need to be tested through discomfort.

The Stages

1. Introductory Call (30 min) - A conversation with a member of the hiring team or People Ops to understand what you're looking for, share context on the role, and assess mutual fit at a high level. We'll be honest if we think the fit is wrong - we ask the same from you.
2. Work Sample or Portfolio Review - Depending on the role, you'll submit relevant work or complete a structured exercise. We design exercises to be realistic, time-bounded, and compensated for substantial asks.
3. Team Interviews (2–3 sessions of 45–60 min) - Deep-dive conversations with your prospective manager, peers, and cross-functional partners. Each interviewer evaluates a distinct dimension: craft, collaboration, and culture contribution.
4. Leadership Conversation - A final discussion with a senior leader focused on values alignment, long-term vision, and any open questions from either side.

Bias Prevention

All interviewers submit independent written assessments before discussing candidates as a group. This prevents anchoring bias, ensures every voice is heard, and creates a documented record for every hiring decision.

Your first 90 days, designed with intention.

Starting a new role is disorienting even when it's exciting. We've designed our onboarding to reduce friction and accelerate belonging - so you can start doing meaningful work, and start feeling at home, as quickly as possible.

Day One

• All tools, accounts, and access configured before you arrive.
• A dedicated onboarding buddy assigned from your immediate team.
• A welcome call with your manager to align on your first week and first 30-day goals.
• Introduction to the full team at the next all-hands.

First 30 Days

Focus on listening, learning, and building relationships. You are not expected to have answers - you are expected to ask excellent questions. Your onboarding buddy is available for the questions you don't yet feel comfortable raising in a broader forum.

Days 30–90

Increasing ownership, clear deliverables, and your first formal 1:1 feedback exchange with your manager. By day 90, you should have a clear picture of your role, your relationships, and your 6-month priorities.

Security & Compliance

All employees complete our security training, sign the confidentiality and IP agreement, and review this handbook in full during their first week. These are not checkboxes - they are foundational to how we protect each other and our clients.

One week every quarter to build what excites you.

Four times per year, Sofueled pauses its regular work cadence for an Innovation Sprint - a week dedicated entirely to passion projects, creative experiments, and ideas that don't fit neatly into a client brief or a product roadmap.

How It Works

• Any employee can pitch a project at the start of Sprint Week.
• Teams form organically around the most compelling ideas - no assignments, no mandates.
• Projects must be completable (or meaningfully demonstrable) within the week.
• All projects are presented to the full company on Friday afternoon.

What Counts

Anything you'd be genuinely excited to work on. Past Sprints have produced new service offerings, internal tools that shipped to production, creative campaigns that became client pitches, and cultural initiatives that changed how we work. The only rule: it has to be real work, not a vacation.

Spend like it's your own money - because it is.

We operate with financial transparency and expect everyone to exercise good judgment with company resources. We are not a startup that confuses frugality with deprivation - but we are also not a company that wastes resources that could go toward talent, craft, or growth.

Expense Guidelines

• Travel: Book economy class for flights under 4 hours. Premium economy or business class for flights over 6 hours or overnight routes is acceptable. Use standard business hotels - no resorts or luxury properties on the company's tab without explicit approval.
• Software: Tools that make you materially more productive are worth paying for. Propose new tools through your manager; avoid duplicate subscriptions.
• Meals: Client entertainment and team meals are covered with a reasonable per-person spend. Personal meals while traveling are reimbursed at standard per-diem rates.
• Equipment: All full-time employees receive a company laptop and any peripherals needed to do their job well. Equipment is company property unless otherwise arranged in writing.

Submitting Expenses

All expenses are submitted through our expense management platform with receipts attached. Expenses submitted more than 60 days after the transaction may not be reimbursable. When in doubt, ask your manager before spending.

Work created here belongs here. Personal work remains personal.

Any intellectual property created by you in the course of your employment - creative work, software, campaign strategies, processes, proprietary methodologies, or any other work product developed using Sofueled resources, time, or confidential information - belongs to Sofueled. This is governed by your employment agreement and the Copyright Act, 1957 under Indian law.

Your Personal Work

Work created entirely on your own time, using your own devices and resources, on subjects unconnected to Sofueled's business, belongs to you. Indian intellectual property law recognises this distinction. If you are uncertain whether something you are working on privately could be construed as overlapping with Sofueled's business, ask before the ambiguity becomes a dispute.

Bringing Prior Work Into Sofueled

If your role will involve building on creative work, code, processes, or IP you developed before joining Sofueled, disclose it before your start date. Undisclosed prior work that becomes entangled with company deliverables creates legal complications that are avoidable with a straightforward conversation.

Non-Solicitation

For twelve months following your last day at Sofueled, you agree not to recruit or attempt to recruit Sofueled employees for positions at other organisations. This obligation is mutual - it protects the team you were part of, and it is a standard we hold ourselves to when our own people leave to build elsewhere.

Security is everyone's job, not just IT's.

Sofueled holds sensitive data for clients, partners, and team members. A security breach is not just a technical failure - it is a breach of trust that can end client relationships and damage reputations permanently. Every person on the team is part of our security posture.

Passwords and Access

• Use a password manager (we provide 1Password to all employees). Every account gets a unique, strong password - never reuse passwords across services.
• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on every company account, no exceptions. Authenticator apps (not SMS) are preferred.
• Never share passwords with anyone - including colleagues, even temporarily. If a colleague needs access to something, provision it properly through the relevant tool or request IT access.
• Lock your screen whenever you step away from your device. In shared or public spaces, always.

Devices

• Company devices must have full-disk encryption enabled. This is configured during onboarding - do not disable it.
• Keep your operating system and applications updated. Security patches exist for a reason; delay is exposure.
• Do not install unauthorized software on company devices. If you need a tool that is not pre-approved, request it through IT.
• If a device is lost or stolen, report it to IT and People Ops immediately - not the next day, not after trying to find it. Immediately.

Phishing and Social Engineering

• Be suspicious of any unexpected email requesting login credentials, wire transfers, or urgent action - even if it appears to come from a colleague or senior leader.
• Verify unusual financial or access requests by calling the person directly before acting. One phone call prevents most wire fraud.
• Report suspicious emails to IT without clicking any links. Forward as an attachment, not inline.

Data Handling

• Client data stays in approved, company-managed platforms. Do not store client materials in personal cloud storage (Google Drive personal, Dropbox personal, etc.).
• Do not forward client emails or assets to personal email accounts.
• Before sharing any file externally, check whether it contains information that should not leave the company without explicit approval.

The right tools, properly managed.

Sofueled provides the equipment you need to do your best work. We invest in quality hardware because the cost of substandard tools is measured in lost time, creative friction, and frustration - none of which are acceptable.

What We Provide

• Laptop: All full-time employees receive a company-standard laptop (MacBook Pro 14" or equivalent, configured to your role) on or before their start date.
• External display: Available upon request for all employees. Standard is a single 27" external monitor; dual-monitor setups require manager approval for in-office use.
• Peripherals: Keyboard, mouse or trackpad, and headset are provided on request. Good audio equipment for calls is not a luxury - it is a professional standard.
• Home office setup: A one-time stipend of ₹40,000 is available to full-time remote employees for home office equipment (desk, chair, lighting, etc.). Submit receipts to People Ops.

Ownership and Return

All company-provided equipment remains the property of Sofueled. It must be returned, in good working condition, upon the end of employment. Damage beyond normal wear will be assessed and may be deducted from the final paycheck as permitted by law.

You may not sell, lend, or repurpose company equipment for non-work use. Personal use of company equipment for incidental purposes (occasional personal browsing, etc.) is tolerated; systematic personal use is not.

Requesting New or Replacement Equipment

Equipment requests go through IT via the helpdesk at communication@sofueled.com. Replacement for standard wear and tear is handled without issue. Replacements for loss or accidental damage are evaluated case by case. Intentional damage or gross negligence is not covered.

Software and Licenses

All software used for company work must be licensed appropriately. Do not use pirated software or personal licenses for company work. If you need a tool that is not currently available, request it through IT. We have a reasonable approval process and a budget for tools that genuinely improve work.

We give back - as a company and as individuals.

Sofueled believes that companies with resources have a responsibility to direct some of those resources toward the world beyond their own growth. We are not a nonprofit - but we take our role in the communities we work in seriously.

Company Giving

Sofueled allocates 1% of annual net revenue to charitable giving each year. Recipient organizations are selected annually by a cross-functional team of employees. We prioritize organizations working in Goa - in education, access to arts, and community development - and organizations led by founders from underrepresented communities.

If you have a cause or organization you would like to nominate, submit it to People Ops before Q4. All nominations are reviewed by the giving committee.

Matched Donations

Sofueled matches personal charitable donations made by employees, dollar-for-dollar, up to ₹75,000 per employee per year. Eligible organizations must be registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits (or equivalent in other jurisdictions). Submit donation receipts to People Ops for matching within 60 days of the donation.

Volunteer Time

Every full-time employee receives 2 paid volunteer days per year - days you can use to volunteer with any registered nonprofit or community organization of your choice. These are in addition to your regular time off. Coordinate with your manager at least one week in advance.

Pro Bono Work

Sofueled accepts a limited number of pro bono creative engagements per year with nonprofit organizations whose mission we believe in. Pro bono work is evaluated and approved by the leadership team. If you have a relationship with an organization you think would be a good fit, bring it to your manager.