Decentralization, Accountability, Transparency, Reflection + Evaluation. These are some of the ten principles of a Democratic Organization that Quick Left embodies. We are excited to announce that for the second year in a row, we've made the 2013 WorldBlu List of Most Democratic Workplaces. This list of companies from all over the world and from all types of industries is compiled based on direct feedback and data from employees. We are excited to be on the list again this year, because I truly believe that we are one of the best places to work. Happiness in the workplace has always been something I've been passionate about, and creating a profitable business that allows people to thrive and be creative is important to us all here.

Finding the right co-founding team is a difficult task for the entrepreneur. While there are community driven events to help folks meet each other, finding someone highly technical who is willing to start a company with you is going to be difficult, no matter what. This becomes even more difficult if you are bootstrapping, because technical people who are capable of handling a founder role can command a good salary these days.

Quick Left is one of WorldBlu's most democratic workplaces of 2012. In light of this, I'll be doing a blog series called "Spreading Democracy" based on the ten principals or organizational democracy. Today I'll be talking about Transparency, and specifically, our move to an "open book" organization.

Our Boulder Web Development shop is proud to be a drop off location for this year's Ride for Reading event. Those of you who follow me on Twitter know that I talk about cycling quite a bit...

Running a business that is not only profitable but that also enriches lives is extremely important to me. Throughout my career as a software engineer I’ve sometimes felt like I was just just another “resource” making sure that “deliverables” were delivered. I knew that there must be another way. What would the world be like if people were treated with dignity in their jobs, and given the freedom to grow and thrive? I’ve always tried to stick to these ideals in the growth of Quick Left, and it was truly a treat to see that there were others who shared our vision.

Quick Left had the privilege of sponsoring VCIR Winter held a couple of weeks ago in Beaver Creek. The two day event attracts startups and VCs from around the area (both in and out of state) and boasts a format that allows for both showcasing and networking amongst the attendees. During the day, an assortment of companies got the chance to present to an audience of VCs, along with a panel of experienced capitalist waiting to ask questions and give feedback on their pitches.

I'm calling 2012 the year of the craftsman (or craftswoman!). We're seeing a resurgence of small batch, handmade products in the food industry in particular--with craft beers, small batch coffees, and small organic farms becoming popular. Niche craft items even have their own ecosystem, centering around sites like Etsy.

When we first signed the lease for our office on the 7th floor of the tallest building in Boulder last February, we had no idea what we were in for.

Over the last year, Quick Left has grown rapidly both in numbers and as a company. During that time, I've been focused on refining our development process, figuring out which projects are the best fit, helping establish our culture, and determining our overall vision. One goal we've had throughout this process has been to run a business that truly values the team, yet remains successful and profitable. To that end, Becca and I had the chance to attend the WorldBlu Live conference a couple of weeks ago.

This year, Quick Left has the opportunity to sponsor the Category 4 women's prize list for the 2010 North Boulder Park Classic. This criterium has a long and rich history in Boulder—it started out in the mid 1970's as a stage in the Red Zinger and later on in the Coors Classic. The town of Boulder was so enamored with bike racing that the Red Zinger Mini Classic races soon followed.