Purpose, performance, and trust: Inside the culture powering 1Password’s next chapter

In today’s complex digital world, trust is everything. And trust starts with people. That’s why at 1Password, we’ve built a culture rooted in shared purpose, clarity, and accountability. Our culture begins with a commitment to something bigger than ourselves: the success of our customers. We believe in the power of we: a mindset that puts customers first, prioritizes the team over the individual, and anchors everything we do in our mission: building a safer, simpler digital future for everyone.

As our company grows, so do our ambitions. That’s why we’re committed to a high-performance culture that enables us to move with speed, alignment, and integrity, while staying true to our belief that great outcomes are only possible when we grow and work together. We believe in setting a high bar because the work we do matters. The stakes are high to ensure we protect our customers, and that bar is constantly being raised as we scale.

A culture anchored in purpose

1Password isn’t just adapting to a fast-changing digital world – we’re helping shape it. But meaningful innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens when teams come together with a clear mission and a commitment to delivering what matters most to our customers.

As our CEO, David Faugno, puts it:

“Curiosity, adaptability, and a winning mindset are essential to our evolving culture. We are moving toward high-performance by focusing on clear goals, open communication, shared accountability, and pushing for excellence as a team. High-performance is not about speed for its own sake. It is about moving forward together, with focus and alignment.”

High-performance at 1Password is not just a goal—it’s a way of working that ensures we can protect our customers’ digital lives while fostering an environment where people are empowered to learn, grow, and innovate.

What is a high-performance culture?

At its core, a high-performance culture is about creating an environment where shared purpose, clarity, and accountability are embedded in daily work.

Alignment across teams and individual accountability empower people to own their contributions, ask for help, give feedback, and learn from mistakes. These qualities ensure we keep learning, remain open to new ideas, and push ourselves to do better.

Growth in experience

During a recent Workleap podcast, I described our approach to scaling a high-performance culture in remote and distributed teams.

I often say our journey at 1Password is like riding a long train. Some people stay for the entire ride and grow alongside us. Others join for part of the journey and move on when it is time. We move quickly, and not everyone will follow the same path or pace. What matters is that we are open with each other and support one another through each stage of growth and change.

Benefits of a high-performance culture

A high-performance culture at 1Password accelerates value for the customers we serve. This means a faster pace of innovation. Our teams are equipped to deliver secure, reliable, and forward-thinking security products built for how people and AI agents work today. By working with greater focus and urgency, we can bring solutions to market faster than ever.

For employees, high-performance provides a clear sense of shared purpose. When people see how their work connects to our mission, they are motivated to learn, grow, and tackle new challenges. This focus on high performance is also what drives 1Password’s market leadership.

McKinsey found that organizations with people-first performance management are over four times more likely to outperform their peers, with 30% higher revenue growth and lower attrition. When people are empowered to do their best work, the whole organization benefits.

Ultimately, a high-performance culture is about more than results. It is about building a place where people can thrive, support one another, and continually discover new ways to add value for themselves and our customers. This is how we fulfill our promise of a safe digital future, built by people, for people.

How we build a high-performance culture

Every decision, large or small, shapes the culture we create together.

This approach begins during hiring. We are candid with candidates about our environment: The pace, the expectations, and the sense of ownership required. Candor in these conversations sets expectations early, builds trust from day one, and allows people to assess whether this is the right place for them to thrive.

Leaders set the tone for our teams and help drive cultural shifts, but leadership alone is not enough. Lasting change comes when every individual contributes. When every team member sees their role in the bigger picture and brings their energy to the process, transformation truly takes hold.

We also acknowledge that high-performance may not be for everyone. Some people find energy in this environment; others may look for a different fit, which is perfectly valid. Honest self-reflection and open conversations foster alignment, helping us build teams committed to shared goals.

Five core elements of a high-performance culture

1. Cutting-edge technology

A defining feature of 1Password’s high-performance culture is our steadfast commitment to cutting-edge technology. As the threat landscape evolves and the way we work has fundamentally changed, we do not just keep up; we set the standard in identity security.

We empower our teams to explore new technologies, test bold ideas, and challenge assumptions, especially in areas like AI. Our four-stage approach – explore, experiment, innovate, and transform – guides our teams from early experimentation to operationalizing and measuring real change.

This mindset ensures we are prepared for emerging threats and anticipate and shape what users will need next. Nancy Wang, VP of Engineering, echoes the sentiment:

“A high-performance culture starts with engineering teams who are obsessed with building secure, reliable products that people depend on every day. At 1Password, we ascribe to the philosophy of ‘secure by default’, something our users can’t afford to go without, and we hold ourselves to that standard in every line of code.”

2. Our talent

Our people – we refer to them as “Bits” – make 1Password’s high-performance culture possible. Their diversity, expertise, and adaptability fuel our ongoing growth.

By bringing together different perspectives, we create an environment where learning happens naturally—and where structured opportunities for mutual mentorship can flourish. The best learning often happens when we combine diverse perspectives and experiences. At the same time, we believe in providing meaningful challenges: work that stretches people’s capabilities and gives them a real sense of accomplishment.

To keep this spirit alive, we support employee resource groups like Pride, HOLA (Hispanic or Latin American), and Women of 1Password. These groups help everyone feel they belong and can build genuine connections across the company. We also encourage cross-functional teams to collaborate, living out a team-first mindset that welcomes every perspective. These networks make sure diverse voices are heard and new ideas have room to grow.

Recognition and well-being are just as important. We celebrate impact through peer-to-peer shoutouts on Bonusly and company-wide awards. With flexible work options and four company-wide wellness days a year, we ensure that achievement always goes hand in hand with health and balance.

3. Results-driven collaboration

Results-driven collaboration depends on clear roles, open communication, and mutual respect. When people share knowledge, give feedback, and solve problems together, we move forward as a team. By listening to every voice, we create space for new ideas, smart risks, and learning, even when disagreeing.

This spirit of collaboration is anchored by purpose and accountability. We set clear goals and ensure every person understands how their work contributes to our mission. Strong mission alignment helps everyone feel individual ownership of their results and brings us together in pursuit of a safe digital future.

Naturally, conflict will arise as we work closely and push boundaries. Recent research from the Myers-Briggs Company shows that employees spend an average of 4.34 hours each week dealing with work-related conflict, twice as much as in 2008. At 1Password, we use these moments to fuel growth. I often start meetings by saying, “I’m going to speak candidly about this topic to get everything on the table. Please know it comes from a place of wanting progress, not criticism.” By setting this tone, we make honest conversations possible, show that working through conflict is part of our culture, and a key to unlocking greatness.

4. Effective leadership

Executives and senior leaders are often a few steps ahead of the broader organization because they’re actively shaping the cultural shifts that drive us forward. For this reason, transparent and timely communication is essential—it bridges knowledge gaps, builds trust, and ensures every employee is brought along in the journey.

Leaders must ensure every team member understands the direction, its reasons, and what is expected. Those closest to the work are best positioned to make strong decisions, so this level of transparency builds trust and empowers everyone to move forward together.

Supporting learning and growth is another component of effective leadership. Our leaders encourage innovation and help people as they stretch beyond their comfort zones. We do so by investing in development opportunities so that every team member can build new skills and embrace a growth mindset.

Equally as important is equipping teams with the right tools and systems. Our leaders carefully implement solutions that remove barriers, simplify work, and support high performance through technology and process improvements.

At 1Password, leadership is not about a title. It is about serving others, inspiring action, and helping every team member reach their potential. People-first leadership moves our culture forward and enables us to grow and achieve together.

5. Continuous improvement

We believe excellence requires learning, adapting, and growing every day. This commitment starts with regularly reviewing our processes and outcomes, so we keep our performance sharp and our goals ambitious.

Open communication and honest feedback make continuous improvement possible. We create space for transparent dialogue through company-wide all-hands, department meetings, and team offsites. These rituals go beyond routine updates. They are opportunities to surface new ideas, address challenges, and implement constructive feedback in real time. By keeping these conversations regular, we stay connected and focused on shared progress.

Data and analytics deepen this approach. By analyzing the impact of new features and continually gathering customer feedback, we find opportunities for progress and focus on results that matter most to our teams and customers.

Still, numbers are only part of the story. As our COO, Jeannie De Guzman, explains:

“Continuous improvement is the heartbeat of how we grow—both as a company and as individuals. At 1Password, we challenge ourselves to learn from every outcome, lean into data to shape our decisions, and share what we discover. This mindset creates a place where growth is constant and every voice helps move us forward.”

Interested in joining 1Password?

Growth-minded people are drawn to 1Password because of our culture of shared purpose, clarity, and accountability. Here, every team member has a voice and is encouraged to ask questions, learn from others, and make an impact. We celebrate adaptability and shared achievement because these qualities drive our collective success.

Joining 1Password is about more than taking a new job. It means joining a team committed to making a difference for our customers and each other. We value learning, open dialogue, and genuine connection. If you are ready to grow and see your work make a real difference, we invite you to explore the next step.

Visit our careers page to learn how you can contribute and discover what makes 1Password a uniquely rewarding place to build your future.

Katya Laviolette

Chief People Officer