Transparency in practice: how Untile’s culture supports collaboration and innovation

We talk about, and show, what it’s like to work here at Untile through our team and our social channels. But social media will always be limited to the basics: what fits into ten photos and a few characters. And that still leaves a gap for anyone trying to understand what it’s really like, in practice, to work at Untile.

I don’t want this to be a manifesto or a collection of pretty phrases to hang on a wall. I want to share an honest snapshot of what I see in my day-to-day: how we make decisions, how we deal with pressure, how we collaborate even when we disagree, and what we refuse to compromise on.

Why does this matter now? Because the way a company works always shows up. In projects, in the energy of the teams, in the quality of what we deliver, and, most importantly, in how we protect people as we grow.

Key takeaways

• Transparency is the word that best describes our culture, including when we make mistakes and need to learn.
• “Making things happen” isn’t rushing: it’s testing ideas quickly, validating them in reality, and adjusting without drama.
• Collaboration doesn’t mean always agreeing; it means contributing even when the initiative wasn’t mine.
• Good decisions are built on facts: we look for numbers, context, and evidence to move beyond gut feeling.
• Under pressure, the focus is to flag issues early, communicate better, and step back when that prevents bigger chaos.
• What we don’t compromise on: projects that put people in extreme situations or start with fundamentally wrong conditions.

If I had to choose one word for our culture: transparency

I know that recently Miguel, our CEO, wrote for the blog and also shared how he would define Untile in a single word. I’m going to use that as a starting point, but talk specifically about our culture.

If I had to describe Untile’s culture in one word, it would be transparency.

For me, transparency is how we show up in our work. It’s owning what we do, whether it goes well or not, and using that as learning so we can do it differently next time. There’s no idea of “pretending everything is great” just to keep appearances. What exists instead is a continuous attempt to do our best, in an honest and well-executed way.

In practice, that shows up in how people live the project: with intensity, responsibility, and a real commitment to adding value, not just “doing things because that’s what’s expected.”

The three practices that most sustain how we work

1) Make things happen: test fast, learn, and adjust without attachment

We have a mindset that’s present across the company: someone has an idea, we put it into practice, we evaluate whether it makes sense, and then we do one of two things, we either move forward, or we change direction. And either way, that’s fine.

This runs across roles and teams. It’s not “innovation lives in one department.” It’s a collective behavior. And for me, that’s one of the most important things: making things happen with intention, instead of getting stuck in endless discussions.

2) Collaboration even when we disagree

Here, collaboration doesn’t mean everyone always agrees — because they don’t (and honestly, nowhere does). People disagree about strategy, execution, priorities. That’s normal. It’s part of our everyday work and our team routine.

The core point is something else. For example: even when I’m not 100% aligned with the solution someone is advocating for on a project, if it’s that person’s initiative and it makes sense to test it, I switch into collaboration mode. I’ll contribute. I’ll try to ensure it runs well, that it’s sustainable, and that we get results and learn from them.

That kind of “mature” collaboration is deeply cultural. It’s our job — and it’s what we consistently expect from our people.

3) Decision-making grounded in facts and numbers

Another practice that has become increasingly widespread is making decisions based on facts, numbers, and evidence.

We’re not always at the ideal level, and we acknowledge that, but there’s real effort to get there: having data, tracking initiatives, measuring impact. This improves decision quality and reduces noise, especially as the company grows and complexity increases.

When pressure shows up, we know how to keep it from turning into a real problem

Pressure exists, and that’s simply a fact in some projects (and this is where transparency matters, as I said earlier). Deadlines, clients, technical complexity, unexpected issues, all of that happens. What makes the difference is what we do when it happens.

That’s why there are three things that repeat themselves when we’re under pressure, and that I not only believe are important, but also see all of us putting into practice:

1. Flag issues early
2. The sooner we realize something isn’t right, the smaller the impact. The goal is to prevent a problem from growing silently until it becomes a snowball. And with the way we work, it doesn’t get that far.
3. Communicate early, with context
4. We talk to different people, gather perspectives, understand options. It’s not about “imposing a solution just because.” The goal is always to create clarity so we can make better decisions, and make them as a team.
5. Don’t be afraid to step back
6. Sometimes the most responsible move is to step back a few steps and restart in a more correct way. It may sound cliché, but it’s true, and few people are honest about it. It helps us avoid staying on a path that will “definitely go wrong,” and it reduces impact on the project and on the rest of the organization (planning, resourcing, and so on).

Experience matters a lot here. More experienced people help detect issues early. And processes help too. They don’t exist to create bureaucracy, they exist to provide a minimum structure when things get tight.

Where we draw the line: what we won’t compromise on

There are things that, for me, are non-negotiable, even if they cost time, opportunity, or investment.

One of them is accepting projects that we know will put people into extreme situations, whether that’s stress, overload, being pushed to the limit, or all of it at once.

Projects naturally have more intense phases. That’s normal, and we recognize it. Before a client demo, during testing phases, in transition moments, those are predictable, manageable peaks. Teams prepare for them.

The issue is when conditions are wrong from the start: a literal “blank sheet” project priced incorrectly, budgets that don’t make sense, requests and constraints that inevitably push people beyond healthy limits. That kind of scenario, as a rule, we reject, because it’s not worth winning a project at the cost of burning people out.

Recruiting: technical strength and culture, in practice

I don’t believe in “culture fit” as something vague or aesthetic. For us, cultural alignment needs to exist together with real execution.

Someone can talk about values, communicate well, and even seem aligned. But if they don’t perform in the role, if the relationship becomes purely transactional, it won’t work. And the opposite is also true: a person can be extremely experienced and technical, but if they’re not aligned with our values and culture, that won’t work either.

This matters: we’re not an organization built to run on occasional, distant hiring. We want people who feel part of the team, who come in with a clear intention to contribute.

What I always look for is consistency between what someone says and what they actually do.

What we expect from day one

There are two behaviors that, for me, quickly show whether someone will thrive at Untile.

Real autonomy (not “autonomy in theory”)

Autonomy means making decisions, big or small. It means not sitting still for two hours waiting for an answer to something simple. It means acting, choosing a path (which might be right or wrong), and moving forward, because we can adjust afterwards.

Commitment and contribution from day zero

In the first days, it’s normal to be in “absorption mode.” But even then, you can contribute: noticing small improvements, suggesting alternatives, bringing previous experiences.

That’s involvement. It’s looking at a process and saying: “I saw this in another reality, it worked well, does it make sense to test it here?” Sometimes we’ve tried it before and it didn’t work, but that doesn’t prevent us from trying again with different variables. That movement of suggesting and building is part of our culture.

And there’s also commitment to project goals. Joining a project and owning: “this is the target; I’ll contribute so we get there.” It sounds simple, but it’s a massive differentiator.

What I’d say to someone thinking about applying to work with us

If I had to leave one message for someone reading this and thinking about working with us, it would be:

This is a space for growth without unnecessary barriers. People can put into practice what they want to do. They can contribute effectively to the growth of the organization.

We have a dynamic culture, built by good people, where work is collaborative.

And that isn’t a vague promise. Honestly, it’s the reality I see, and live, every day.

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