The 7 Factors Behind 7Factor
If you’ve spent any time reading our content, you’ve probably seen us refer to “our 7 Factors.” But we’ve never actually shared where they came from or why there are seven.
The story begins before 7Factor was even established as a company.
Jeremy Duvall, our CEO and Founder, was on yet another work trip. Like many senior engineers and tech leaders, he was bouncing between client meetings, solving urgent problems, and putting out fires. He was good at it, but he started to feel it wearing him down. The work didn’t feel sustainable. Something was missing.
He asked himself: Is this the only way to build great software? What if there’s a better way? Not just for clients, but for the engineers doing the work too?
That question sparked a quiet moment of reflection on a long flight. Jeremy pulled out a notebook and started jotting down everything he’d learned in over 20 years of software development; patterns he’d seen on the best teams, values that made the hardest problems solvable, and practices that worked. At the core of it all? A human-centric approach.
Eventually, it evolved into a framework for seven core values that serve as the foundation of our operations today. We call them the 7 Factors.
We believe that sharing knowledge lifts everyone. There’s no ego in asking questions or giving answers here. Teaching and elevating isn’t just about walking a junior engineer through a block of code; it’s about helping the people around you grow, no matter the context. Maybe it’s coaching a teammate through a tricky problem. Maybe it’s as simple as sharing the best soil for someone’s herb garden. Uplifting others is always part of the work.
No one should have to repeat the same mundane task every single day. When we automate, we’re not just chasing efficiency; we’re giving ourselves more space to focus on what really matters. Maybe it frees up time to dig into a tough bug. Or maybe it gives someone the extra half hour they need to step away and breathe. Automating the boring stuff makes room for better work and healthier humans.
This one sounds simple. But it takes real effort. We take ownership of our code, our decisions, and how we treat each other. Doing no harm means holding each other accountable, calling out behavior that doesn’t align with our values, and doing what’s right even when it’s hard. And it’s not just about what you say, it’s how you say it. We treat people like people, not like machines.
We don’t believe curiosity killed the cat. Around here, curiosity is how things get better. We ask “why” when something feels off. We dig deeper when the easy answer isn’t good enough. Curiosity drives us to uncover new information, challenge assumptions, and push our ideas further. In a world that moves fast, it helps us stay ahead of the curve.
We build diverse teams not because it looks good on paper, but because it makes the work stronger. Different lived experiences lead to smarter decisions and more resilient systems. When people feel seen and heard, they contribute more freely. And when we work together across differences, we find the common ground that makes collaboration real.
We don’t duct tape solutions together and walk away. Good things take intention. They require patience and care, and sometimes that means saying no to shortcuts. Whether it’s a product, a process, or a relationship with a client, we want to be proud of what we build. That’s what good looks like to us.
Yes, love. It’s what ties it all together. We love clean code. We love working with people who care. We love solving complex problems that actually matter. And when we stop loving the work, that’s our signal to step back and reassess. Love is what keeps us showing up and doing our best; not because we have to, but because we want to.
In Conclusion
These are the 7 Factors that built 7Factor. They guide how we code, how we collaborate, and how we show up as teammates. We live by them, not just in the way we talk, but in the way we deliver.
This framework wasn’t designed to make us faster or more efficient, even though it often does. It was created to help us stay human while doing hard things. And if that also makes us great to work with, well, that’s the point.