How We Encourage Self-Improvement at Buffer

At Buffer, one of our core values is Focus on Self-Improvement. But a value on its own doesn’t create action. Values need structure and support behind them.

I’m Suzanne, Buffer’s Operations Manager. Part of my role is building and executing the systems that help turn our values into reality. In this article, I’ll share how we support self-improvement at Buffer and how our teammates are tapping into those resources in their own ways.

Let’s take a look behind the scenes.

Growth Mindset Fund

Every teammate at Buffer has access to a $1,000 annual Growth Mindset Fund. The goal is to create a flexible way to encourage self-improvement and skill-building among the team.

The name “Growth Mindset Fund” comes from psychologist Carol Dweck’s research on growth mindset. Dr. Dweck pioneered the idea that abilities aren’t fixed and that learning and effort can lead to improvement over time.

“In the fixed mindset, everything is about the outcome. If you fail—or if you’re not the best—it’s all been wasted. The growth mindset allows people to value what they’re doing regardless of the outcome . They’re tackling problems, charting new courses, working on important issues.” Carol Dweck writes in her book, Mindset.

Here are just a few things our teammates have used their Growth Mindset Fund for:

• Courses to build or deepen a skill, specifically ⤵️
  • A course on coding with React
  • An animation on the web course
  • A self-paced workshop on testing accessibility
• One-on-one coaching or mentorship, specifically ⤵️
  • Design mentorship through MentorCruise
  • Accounting coaching through Wyzant
  • Executive coaching with Tiles Collab
• Memberships in professional communities, specifically ⤵️
  • Elena’s Growth Scoop membership
  • Skillshare membership
  • CodeCrafters membership
• Productivity tools or software, specifically ⤵️
  • Blinkist
  • ToDoist
  • Recall

Teammates have also financed conferences using the Growth Mindset and dedicated Conference funds, which I'll cover more in-depth in the next section.

Conferences

For some teammates, learning happens best in person by attending conferences, forming relationships, and hearing from others in the industry.

Each year, we identify a small number of key conferences where Buffer would benefit from having teammates attend. While this list changes, here are a few conferences that we continue to find valuable year after year.

• WWDC
• Meta Connect
• API Days
• GraphQLConf
• Threads API Summit

Buffer fully covers the cost of these, everything from registration to travel, to accommodation, and meals. We see these conferences as strategic investments for both the company and the teammate. Often, our team will even present at these conferences as we love building in public and sharing what we’re learning transparently!

If a teammate wants to attend a different conference not identified on our key conferences list, they can absolutely still do so! We would cover up to $1,000 of conference expenses through the use of their Growth Mindset Fund.

For example, Senior Content Writer Tami Oladipo used her Growth Mindset Fund to go to SXSW London this year (you can read about everything she learned there in this article, if you’re interested!).

Unlimited books

We also believe that reading can be a powerful way to learn and grow.

Every teammate receives a free Kindle when they join Buffer and can expense any digital or audiobooks they choose. No approvals needed. No need to tie it directly to work.

We believe that books of all kinds can expand our perspective and increase our creativity. That’s why we believe in supporting everything from science fiction and romance to leadership books and marketing deep dives.

Curious what we’re reading? Check out buffer.com/books for a peek at our ever-evolving team bookshelf.

Right team 🤝 Right support

Learning looks different for everyone. Learning can even look different every year! Some teammates go deep on one new skill each year. Others dip into new topics month by month. Some prefer solo learning. Others thrive in community. We’ve strived to build a structure that has the flexibility to support all of it.

At the end of the day, no system works without the right people. That’s why, when we’re hiring for open roles at Buffer, we ask candidates to record a short video sharing something they’ve learned recently. This is one of our favorite ways to spot lifelong learners who’ll thrive here. Because while we’ve built the tools and resources to support growth, it’s our teammates’ curiosity, drive, and love of learning that truly bring self-improvement to life.

Over to you

How do you like to learn best — books, courses, conferences, mentorship, something else entirely?

I’d love to hear. Drop a comment and share what’s helped you grow recently.