Thank you, Mark

When Mark Ferlatte, Everett Harper, and Jen Leech founded Truss thirteen years ago, they agreed to create a company with a culture where they would truly want to work. They focused on specifics: remote first, salary transparency, full benefits - and then went on to establish values as guiding principles, and intentionally designed systems and teams so that the organization was not dependent on any one person. When they contemplated the always useful question: “what does success look like?” The answer was the same one they gave to gauge success in their work with clients: if we’ve done our job well Truss should be able to operate without any one of us.

It’s in this spirit that we’re pleased to celebrate and support Mark Ferlatte in his decision to leave his operational role as CTO of Truss as of November 2023 to pursue other projects.

The influence Mark has had in his time as CTO at Truss can not be overstated. He has championed a learning environment that is exceedingly rare for many technologists - one that sees failure as an opportunity for growth and insight and so allows for greater psychological safety and innovation. He has served as a mentor and advisor to numerous Trussels past and present, instilling a human-centric approach to problem solving that has inspired many. While his exuberant love of coffee, f-bombs, and sense of mischief are unquestionably endearing, it is his commitment to his teams throughout the years, the example he has set as a leader working shoulder-to-shoulder to create a culture of inclusive collaboration that has established a foundation for the exceptional work Truss is known for and will continue to uphold. 

While Truss has had its fair share of wins and setbacks over the past decade, we have continued to evolve, learn from our mistakes, and keep moving to the edge. And so it is through this lens that Truss is able to celebrate and support Mark in his transition.

Mark still owns a third of the company and retains a seat on the Board of Directors, and so remains very much a part of Truss’ mission: a commitment to human centered values, truth telling, and insightful consulting with clients to do work that improves the lives of humans.

Everyone at Truss extends our sincerest thanks and appreciation to Mark for your influence, your invitation to authenticity and your unwavering support. Cheers to your next adventure. 

Keep swimming forward like a shark.

Truss Founders: Mark Ferlatte, Jen Leech, Everett Harper