This page explains the principles behind when/how we use job titles.

Jump to…

What’s a job title?

A job title is a label stated on an employment contract, a LinkedIn profile, a business card, and also used in some filings where an entity needs to know who’s working at our firm. It’s meant to explain something about what this person does at that firm.

Titanium Birch’s approach to titles

• In our daily work: we don’t use titles. TJ is just TJ, Justina is just Justina. Our decisions about ownership, accountability and team compositions are often independent of job titles. Those issues are too nuanced to try to condense into a word or two.
• Are you sure? Other companies use titles, so what’s so special about Titanium Birch? Because we are small and will likely stay that way. Everyone knows each other and can understand each other’s roles in detail. There’s just no need to use the oversimplifications of titles and bear their downsides.
• Why even bother setting titles? Because the world outside of Titanium Birch sometimes cares about them. For example, when our alumni move on to other firms: headhunters and hiring-managers might ask what someone’s title was at Titanium Birch, so we need to agree on what we’ll say then.
• Potential problems we’d like to avoid:
  • Creating a sense of hierarchy or power. That’s antithetical to our culture. We remain flexible in who decides what and when.
  • Boxing us in. We avoid calling anyone the “Head of something” since that might imply they’re the be-all-end-all.
• Therefore, our titles should be:
  • Primarily for communicating with people outside of our firm, and usually just with those who know very little about us.
  • Simple.
  • Easy for outsiders to accept.
  • Ambiguous enough so they don’t create contradictions with our actual roles.

For context, see our approach to org-design.