Meet the Team Behind the Team: Introducing Efficient Pets
At Efficient Computer, we spend our days chasing something genuinely hard: building the world's most energy-efficient general-purpose processor. But if you ask anyone here what else makes this place special in addition to the amazing tech, they'll point to something else entirely: the people. So today we want to pull back the curtain a little on our people and the culture we’ve built, while also introducing something new (and, frankly, adorable) that came straight out of it: Efficient Pets.
Where the Idea Came From
Every month at our All-Hands meeting, we do New Hire Introductions, when each new team member shares a few fun facts about themselves so we can get to know them a bit deeper. Somewhere along the way, we noticed a pattern: so many of us have pets, and they came up constantly in these intros. The dog who insists on sitting in on every video call. The cat who has strong opinions about keyboards. It became clear these animals are practically coworkers. So, we decided to give our pets the recognition they deserve. The Team Behind The Team is a new section on our About page where employees can introduce their pets to the world with a photo and a one-line bio, written in their own words (or their pet's, depending on who you ask).
A few of our new "hires":
- Napa: Barks at DoorDashers five houses away.
- Pickle: Orange cat. Part-time genius.
- Poi: A green-cheeked conure with very selective biting policies.
- Bleu: An Old English Sheepdog who herds his humans and lives for chicken and tennis balls.
- Odin: Dignified, one-eyed, and always watching from a corner.
Scroll through the full lineup on our About page. We promise it'll make you smile and make your day better.
Why Share Our Pets?
It's a small thing, but it says a lot about how we think about culture here at Efficient. We don't treat "fun" and "serious work" as opposites. When I asked a recent new hire why they chose Efficient, the answer I heard was, "People take their work seriously but don't take themselves too seriously." That balance shows everywhere, not just in a page full of pet photos, but in how we actually operate day to day. We're a down-to-Earth group who genuinely likes each other, likes the work we do, and likes to combine those two concepts whenever possible.
The Culture Behind the Pets
We genuinely like working together. Ask around and you'll hear the same things: the team works well together, people are collaborative by default, and folks care about each other beyond the Slack thread. Our guiding principles aren't just words on a slide or on our website. They're the values we aim to live by: Teamliness, Integrity, Adventure, Excellence, Impact, and Determination. Each one shapes how we build our technology and how we treat each other while doing it.
We listen and we act on it. Last year we ran an employee engagement survey, and the results didn't just sit in a slide deck. It directly led to new benefits (HSA and FSA plans) and new initiatives like mid-year reviews, professional growth plans, and Executive roundtables with each team throughout the year. Employees’ thoughts and ideas are heard and turned into action wherever possible.
The benefits back it up. We offer competitive total compensation, comprehensive health benefits (PPO and HDHP/HSA options, dental, vision, FSAs), a 401(k) match with financial coaching and 529 education savings support, 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave, and flexible PTO, plus a company-wide end-of-year closure so everyone can recharge. It's a strong package for a company our size and stage, and we don't take that for granted.
We know how to have fun together. Virtual pumpkin carving. Trivia nights. This year we even took the whole company to Catalina Island, California for three days of annual kick-off events, meetings plus some fun. We took golf cart tours, went zip-lining, had bison sightings (yes, really), and enjoyed a celebration dinner complete with a logo ice sculpture. In the office, you'll find weekly team lunches three times a week and no shortage of sparkling water in the fridge.
We're growing, and we're staying flexible. We have offices in Pittsburgh, PA and San Jose, CA, with an Austin, TX office opening soon. We support hybrid schedules everywhere and at times, even remote work because flexibility shouldn't be a perk you have to fight for; it should just be how things work. And we protect the balance: flexibility isn't just a policy here, it's a mindset. We believe in not burning both ends of the candle, and we build our schedules, our PTO policy, and our expectations around that belief.
We invest in growth, for our tech and our people. There are opportunities to learn around every corner here, whether it's new technology, a new way of doing things, or a new role someone's curious to explore. We embrace, and actively promote, intellectual curiosity. We back that same philosophy for our people with real investment in growth paths, because we want the people around us to succeed, not just perform. The possibilities are endless if you want them, and we encourage new thoughts and new ways of doing things every step of the way.
Come Meet the Team (and Our Pets)
Efficient Pets is a small idea with a big point: the people who build hard technology are still, people first. They have dogs who bark at delivery drivers and cats who think they run the show. We think that's worth celebrating. Head over to our About page to meet our founders, read more about our values, explore our full benefits package, and of course, scroll down to meet The Team Behind The Team.
Want to Be Part of This Culture?
We're growing. There are new offices, new hires, and yes, new pets joining the page all the time, and we're always looking for good people who care about doing great work without losing sight of what matters. If this culture resonates with you, check out our open positions. We'd love to meet you, and eventually, your pet(s), too!