Founding principle
Be yourself. Bring your strengths.
Judge people by their character, their actions, and what they contribute — not by the packaging they arrived in.
I’ve always had a fairly simple view of people.
I don’t really care how you dress, what you look like, where you come from, what beliefs you hold, or what flag you choose to wave — if any at all.
What I care about is whether you’re being genuine.
Because the best version of you isn’t a copy of someone else. It’s you.
If I’m heading into theatre for open-heart surgery, I don’t care about the surgeon’s background, appearance, accent, or identity. I want the best person for the job.
It’s really that simple.
The interesting thing is that none of us are the best at everything.
We all have strengths.We all have blind spots.We all have talents.We all have things we struggle with.
That’s not a flaw in humanity. That’s the point.
A great team isn’t built from identical people. It’s built from people whose strengths complement each other’s weaknesses.
In that sense, we’re less like clones and more like the Avengers.Each member brings something unique.Each has strengths.Each has weaknesses.Yet together they become something far greater than the sum of their parts.
For me, equality has never been about making everyone the same. It’s about recognising that everyone has value, everyone has something to contribute, and everyone deserves the opportunity to bring their authentic self to the table.
Because there is only one person on this planet who can be the best version of you. And that’s you.
Be yourself.Bring your strengths.Be honest about your weaknesses.Find people whose strengths complement yours.
That’s how great teams are built.
The only thing I find sad is that, in this day and age, I still occasionally feel the need to say this out loud.
Judge people by their character.Judge people by their actions.Judge people by what they contribute.Not by the packaging they arrived in.
— Justin James, founder