ROWE Company Culture with Michael Reynolds
Key Takeaways
- In a ROWE, employees work toward goals with no mandatory office presence, set schedules, or time tracking
- Paid test projects for top candidates during hiring reveal real-world fit better than interviews alone
- Slow organic growth funded by reinvested profits prevents the pitfalls of rapid scaling
Michael Reynolds, CEO of SpinWeb - a full-service inbound marketing agency based in Indianapolis - joins the show to discuss how implementing a Results Only Work Environment (ROWE) transformed his company culture.
What Is ROWE?
About eight years before this interview, Michael read an article by Jodie Thompson and Kallie Riddler, founders at Best Buy Corporation, about a better way to work. The concept stuck. In a ROWE, employees work toward goals rather than tracking hours. They do not have to be in the office at certain times and do not have to answer to anyone about where they are or how they do the work, as long as goals are met.
SpinWeb runs a pure form of the ROWE system. Leadership provides “soft outcomes” to the team, and teams create their own execution plans. The result is well-motivated team members who take ownership of their work because they have genuine freedom and trust.
Hiring for ROWE
The hiring process reflects this culture of trust. After initial screenings and video interviews, top candidates complete a paid test project. This reveals real-world fit far better than interviews alone - you see how candidates communicate, manage their time, and deliver quality work without direct oversight.
Principled Growth
SpinWeb was founded in 1996 as a two-person web development company and has grown slowly to a 10-person team. Michael prefers organic growth funded by reinvested profits rather than debt or outside investment. This deliberate pace prevents the rapid-growth pitfalls that have sunk many agencies. The company culture is built on trust, freedom, and a Richard Branson-inspired employee-first approach.