Introduction

Demand.io is not your typical tech company. Founded in 2009, we've carved out a unique space in the e-commerce landscape with our innovative approach to product development, team structure, and business philosophy. Our mission is clear and ambitious:

To become the world's leading source of e-commerce knowledge.

At the heart of our operations are two flagship products:

  1. SimplyCodes: An AI-powered social savings platform that leverages community input and advanced algorithms to provide the most comprehensive and accurate coupon database in the industry.
  2. Product.ai: An upcoming AI assistant for shopping that aims to revolutionize how people make purchasing decisions.

These products are used by millions of shoppers daily, facilitating thousands of purchase decisions and driving over $1 billion in annual e-commerce transaction volume to our retail partner network.

What sets us apart is not just what we do, but how we do it. Our approach is grounded in a set of core values and unique operational philosophies that shape every aspect of our work. If you're considering joining our team, this guide will give you an in-depth look at what it means to be part of Demand.io.

Our core values

At Demand.io, three core values form the foundation of our culture and guide our decision-making:

Innovation

We're not content with the status quo. We constantly push boundaries, experiment with new ideas, and seek novel solutions to complex problems. Our business model is founded on change, recognizing that technology transforms the way people do things, as well as industries and markets. We innovate through:

This spirit of innovation is evident in our products, our business model, and our approach to team organization.

Empowerment

We believe in giving our team members the autonomy and resources they need to make significant impacts. Every employee at Demand.io is empowered to take ownership of their work, make important decisions, and drive the company forward. We see our role as empowering our users - be they shoppers, marketers, entrepreneurs, or influencers - to create, learn, expand, and create economic value.

Continuous growth

Learning never stops at Demand.io. We're committed to personal and professional growth, constantly expanding our skills and knowledge. We see life as a continuous process of growth, which includes:

We grow every day as creators, marketers, and developers, and we seek to help our community members grow as a result of participating in our platforms.

The concentric circles model

One of the most distinctive aspects of Demand.io's approach is our Concentric Circles Model of value alignment. This model visualizes how we create and distribute value across our entire ecosystem:

  1. Core: Our mission and values
  2. Inner circle: Our team (Partners and employees)
  3. Second circle: Our product users and community members
  4. Third circle: Our business partners (brands, affiliates)
  5. Fourth circle: The broader e-commerce ecosystem
  6. Outer circle: Society at large

This model isn't just a theoretical idea — it's the engine that drives our success. Here's how:

In practice, this means that when you work on a product at Demand.io, you're not just thinking about the immediate user experience or the company's bottom line. You're considering how your work creates value for our community members, our business partners, and even society at large. It's a more holistic and, we believe, more sustainable way of doing business.

This model aligns with our goal of creating a sustainable business that generates positive impact for the world, builds lasting economic value over the long-term, generates wealth for our Partners, and creates positive economic outcomes for our employees, team members, partners, and users.

<aside> <img src="/icons/arrow-right_lightgray.svg" alt="/icons/arrow-right_lightgray.svg" width="40px" />

Learn more: ‣

</aside>

Our team: Deep generalists

At Demand.io, we pride ourselves on being a team of "deep generalists." But what exactly does that mean?

A deep generalist is an individual who has developed substantial expertise in multiple distinct, yet adjacent domains. Unlike a specialist who focuses intensely on a single area, or a generalist who has broad but shallow knowledge, a deep generalist combines depth and breadth in a powerful way.

For example:

We value deep generalists because they can:

This approach allows us to maintain a small, nimble team that can tackle complex challenges and innovate rapidly. It also means that as a Demand.io employee, you'll have the opportunity to wear many hats, expand your skills in multiple directions, and make significant contributions across various aspects of the business.

<aside> <img src="/icons/arrow-right_lightgray.svg" alt="/icons/arrow-right_lightgray.svg" width="40px" />

Learn more: ‣

</aside>

Bias towards action

At Demand.io, we have a strong bias towards action. This means we prioritize movement and experimentation over excessive planning or analysis. Here's what this looks like in practice:

"At Demand.io, we prioritize quick delivery of functional, usable, demo-able software in our sprints that people can see, use and feel. In large, complex development projects, we prioritize time-compressed delivery of a demo-able, usable skeleton of the complete app (an MVP) that we can get into the hands of people to garner feedback immediately."

This approach keeps us in a state of constant, productive motion, driving us forward and preventing the stagnation that can come from over-analysis. However, it also means that you need to be comfortable with ambiguity, rapid change, and learning from failures as well as successes.

<aside> <img src="/icons/arrow-right_lightgray.svg" alt="/icons/arrow-right_lightgray.svg" width="40px" />

Learn more: ‣

</aside>

Our unique work environment

Working at Demand.io is a unique experience that may be quite different from what you've encountered elsewhere. Here are some key characteristics of our work environment:

Fast-paced and demanding

We operate in a rapidly evolving industry and our bias towards action means that things move quickly. We set ambitious goals and work intensively to achieve them. This can be exhilarating, but it also requires stamina and resilience.

Minimal structure and self-organization

We don't believe in unnecessary bureaucracy or rigid hierarchies. Instead, we empower our team members to self-organize and self-manage. This means you'll have a lot of autonomy, but also a lot of responsibility.

High standards and accountability

We hold ourselves and each other to extremely high standards. We expect everyone to deliver excellent work and to be accountable for their results. This can be challenging, but it also means that you'll be working with a team of highly skilled, highly motivated individuals.

Passion for impact

We're here because we love making products that reach millions of people, impacting them in a positive way. We also love the intellectual challenge of creating and scaling a sustainable business — a profit-generating enterprise that succeeds over the long-term by adding positive value to the economy and society.

Collaborative decision-making

We're confident in our abilities, but we also know how to put our egos aside and work towards our shared goals. We welcome constructive feedback — in fact, we seek this out in the pursuit of continuous learning and improvement. We know the best decisions are made through thoughtful consideration across a diversity of perspectives and opinions.

Work-life balance

While we work hard, we also value work-life balance. We encourage team members to pursue interests outside of work and to take time off to recharge. However, when we're working, we expect full focus and dedication. We consider a 40-hour work week as the baseline, but what matters most is your output and impact.

Our founder often says:

"At Demand.io, we're not just building products; we're shaping the future of e-commerce. And the future belongs to those who act, learn, and adapt the fastest."

This environment isn't for everyone, but for those who thrive in it, it offers unparalleled opportunities for growth, impact, and achievement.

The partners program and compensation philosophy

One of the most distinctive aspects of working at Demand.io is our unique approach to compensation, embodied in our Partners Program. This program is designed to directly align the success of our employees with the success of the company.

The Partners Program is open to all employees who demonstrate exceptional performance and alignment with our values, typically after six months of employment. As you progress through Partner levels, your stake in the company's success grows.

Unlike traditional companies where employee compensation is largely disconnected from company performance, or typical startups where the main upside is tied to a future exit event, we've created a system that provides ongoing rewards tied directly to our growth.

The cornerstone of our compensation philosophy is the Profit-Sharing Bonus (PSB). This system means that as Demand.io grows, your compensation grows with it. Our top-performing, tenured employees have the potential to earn several hundred thousand to even millions in annual cash compensation through the PSB system.

We also offer equity grants to provide long-term alignment and upside potential. With our current valuation over $100 million and ambitious growth plans, these equity grants represent substantial value from day one.

For more detailed information about our compensation structure, including specifics about the PSB system and equity grants, please refer to our comprehensive compensation guide.

<aside> <img src="/icons/arrow-right_lightgray.svg" alt="/icons/arrow-right_lightgray.svg" width="40px" />

Learn more: ‣

</aside>

Career growth and development

At Demand.io, we're committed to fostering the growth and development of our team members. Our values of continuous learning and deep generalism create an environment ripe for personal and professional advancement.

Opportunities for learning and advancement

We expect our team members to be voracious learners, constantly expanding their knowledge through books, academic papers, industry reports, cutting-edge online courses, or high-level conferences. Our library of recommended resources isn't for show - each book and resource has been carefully chosen to align with our vision and strategy.

How our values support growth

Examples of career trajectories

At Demand.io, career growth isn't always linear. You might start as a software engineer and grow into a product management role, or begin in marketing and transition into UX research. The key is to continually expand your impact on the company and develop your skills as a deep generalist.

Our products and technical challenges

At Demand.io, we're tackling some of the most exciting challenges in e-commerce and AI. Our products are at the forefront of innovation in these fields:

SimplyCodes

SimplyCodes is redefining how people find and use online coupons. Some of the technical challenges we're addressing include:

<aside> <img src="/icons/arrow-right_lightgray.svg" alt="/icons/arrow-right_lightgray.svg" width="40px" />

</aside>

Product.ai

Product.ai aims to be the most knowledgeable AI shopping assistant. This involves:

<aside> <img src="/icons/arrow-right_lightgray.svg" alt="/icons/arrow-right_lightgray.svg" width="40px" />

</aside>

Technical innovations

Across our products, we're working on cutting-edge technologies including:

Our culture of innovation, bias towards action, and deep generalist approach allows us to tackle these challenges in unique ways. We're not afraid to experiment with new technologies or approaches, and we move quickly to implement and iterate on our ideas.

The challenges and rewards of working at Demand.io