We believe in building a sustainable business that is focused on one thing: making it possible for anyone to start a food business. That means building product that is always putting Chefs first. Historically, a common paradigm of tech has been to grow at all costs, financial or human. This philosophy has created some of the largest and most profitable companies in human history, but it also comes at the cost of people (and in some cases, compromises the very mission a company was founded on).

We are building a company that is run by its people for its users. If I was not a first time founder (and a college dropout) when Hotplate began, we would be entirely employee owned and self-funded. However, that was not the case, so when we do raise capital, we raise it from partners who understand what we are doing and trust us to get the job done.

Hotplate is operating in a space and industry that allows us to operate lean, so we do. We raise they money we need, and not an ounce more, and when we do deploy capital we do it wisely. We do not dilute employee and founder ownership without considerable thought, and ensure that we are never put into a position where our hand is forced by outside stakeholders.

When it comes to people, we spend a lot, and that is by design. The people behind Hotplate are its most valuable asset, so to ensure their success we always want to provide above-par salaries and benefits. We are still getting started, so we have a long way to go to truly become a leader in this, but it is the operating model I will follow as this company grows.