Kurrent Logic – Growing the One-Man Show

When a small business is so embedded within agencies driving critical missions, it scores win after win, and when those wins are buoyed by intimate knowledge and access to those agencies, and a deliberate focus on elevating others, on building bonds and connections, we take note. OS AI recently spoke with Kurrent Logic President, Oren Oxman to find out more about how this team is winning, growing and yet remaining focused on who and what they are.

From a One Man Show to a Team

Starting as a one-man show, Kurrent Logic slowly built its name, reputation, and relationships, through its support of key government agencies including DHS ICE. Over time, the one-man team began to attract more attention thanks to consistently overdelivering, and very soon one man was not enough to satisfy all of the demands, so the one-man team grew. It grew strategically and deliberately, always maintaining its focus on quality, positive relationships and what it did well.

With growth came change, and part of that change has been letting go. “I still go in regularly to see our clients to keep my hand on the pulse of what’s happening and to see how things are going. But I’m stepping back to allow others to take care of the customer, manage requirements, lead projects, and thus  entrusting and empowering the talented team we have here to move forward.”

Part of empowering and trusting his team means listening to new ideas, potentially better ways of doing things, and discovering that people have many talents beyond what they may have been hired for, ideas that exceed what may be represented on a resume. It also means giving them what they need, in the form of support, including interns so they can grow and evolve their roles.

A Unique Culture

Leveraging what has been described as an agile approach to culture, the team is encouraged to come together to share successes, and challenges, to seek advice and support from those around them. “We ask people to come to the table to talk about what they have done, what they are doing, the roadblocks they may have. As a remote company, coming together to have real conversations helps build bonds and connections.”

Noting that many companies have an open-door policy, and that very few employees will be likely to open said door, Kurrent Logic leaders might say the door in their case opens the other way. “We are always reaching out to people to find out how things are going. Showing up at the innovation lab or at a hack-a-thon or other events just to see people, to find out what’s been going on, what is new outside of work, how families are…”

Noting that approach invites people to open up, personal challenges and goals can be identified, and support offered as needed.

That approach is also applied to interns who for Kurrent Logic, as they are offered opportunities far beyond the standard three-month summer stint and actively engages them on projects, having them interacting with clients, building skills, relationships and confidence. “We tell everyone when we’re interviewing that if they aren’t making mistakes, they’re doing something wrong, playing it too safe. What we end up with are interns who can stand their own alongside mid and senior people at other companies, working at and even above their levels.”

Something else about Kurrent Logic’s internship program – they only hire students from HUBZone areas. “I grew up believing that luck wasn’t random. That sometimes giving someone a chance can be all they need. There are great students out there from top notch universities who will have all the doors in the world open to them. What we’re interested in are students from lesser known or recognized schools for whom we can really change things just by seeing them for who they are, for the talent and skills they bring.”

Leaning on senior interns to mentor the juniors, new levels of leadership and connections are forged.

Boomerang Effect

Noting that staffing needs can ebb and flow, and that sometimes projects ends and people need to move on for a time, Kurrent Logic is proud to experience a boomerang effect, that pattern that happens when people may leave, but then seek to come back when an opportunity arises.

Ensuring it is always prepared for ramp-ups, for quick staffing needs, Kurrent Logic maintains touchpoints with people, and is often actively interviewing for just-in-case needs so that it can meet new demands as they arise.

Banking on Partners

Like many smaller businesses, Kurrent Logic is committed to treating partners the way they want to be treated, always going the extra mile to ensure small business leaders succeed. Unlike other smalls however, that has meant helping multiple individuals become independent contractors. It has meant not just taking a chance on their skills and knowledge, but embracing business practices intended to ensure they had the capital and support they needed to move forward and giving them a seat at the table to ensure they can build their own relationships, connections, and careers.

Microsoft and Mission Capable

Unlike some smaller businesses who may claim to be jacks of all trades, Kurrent Logic is laser focused on who and what it is. Its staff of less than 30 lays claim to the same Microsoft capabilities as competitors with teams of 150+ through their certifications, experience, focus, and around the year fully paid training.

Kurrent Logic also has a practice of deliberately rotating people around on teams, including key people, ensuring they have a complete view of the mission, that they understand what and why behind everything they do. “We have great functional expertise across the various clients we serve and there is a lot of crossover between clients. Arming people with real understanding of what they are doing and the actual implications of the work drives it all home in many ways.”

Kurrent Logic’s “Guiding North Star Metric”

A core guiding principle of Kurrent Logic, its North Star Metric, is how it treats people. “Over our time operating for government clients there have been so many things that change, often rapidly. KPIs change, goals change, operating environments change, politics change, but one constant is that we all work closely with each other to deliver what our clients have asked of us.”

To that end, the one element of the company that is always involved is its people. “When we create teams that thrive inside and outside of the office, our clients realize the power of a cohesive team that is greater than the sum of its parts.”

Embracing this, the company makes its own job harder by being extremely selective in recruiting. Industry averages 3-6 interviews per hire, Kurrent Logic averages more than twice that. “We are very selective about the type of employee we hire, and we hope that they are selective in choosing to work with us. Our company is at the top of any metric in terms of benefits offered and attention to work life balance. It is such a good place to work that the boomerang effect is often seen. Good people leave (albeit infrequently) for what they perceive as a better opportunity, only to realize weeks or months later that Kurrent Logic offered a better home.”

Kurrent Logic is committed to training employees, constantly. They all receive annual training, security training and in-depth information about a corporate Integrated Management System that supports its ISO and CMMI certs and drives all process driven performance delivered customers. “I hold a monthly call with every single employee on the line, to review and track training progress, and ensure that everyone is working towards their next goal and has all the tools and resources needed to get there. All training classes, exams, and study materials are paid for 100% by Kurrent Logic for any job-related professional training or certification.”

Kurrent Logic also offers a benefits package that is nearly unmatched by competitors. Paying 90 to 100 percent of medical, vision and dental premiums for both employees and family members, a 401k that ranks top 1% of all employers in the US, employees are not only paid well, but they are supported in ways that carry beyond a paycheck, supporting families when they need it most and helping people prepare for their futures.

Finally, the overall culture of Kurrent Logic follows the Agile and people centric mindset the company brings to daily work. “We’ve created what has been described as an agile approach to culture. The team is encouraged to come together to share successes, and challenges, to seek advice and support from those around them.  Even though we work predominantly remotely since COVID, we ask all employees to come to the table to talk about what they have done, what they are doing, the roadblocks they may have, openly and honestly. Being generally remote, coming together to have real conversations helps build bonds and connections.”

In short, Kurrent Logic’s culture is one of its greatest assets and drivers of its growth. Starting with hiring the right attitudes, providing consistent support and motivation, and encouraging a focus on personal growth and delivering outstanding customer satisfaction has built a cohesive, productive and successful team. It’s no coincidence that the average hire winds up staying with Kurrent Logic for 5-10 years, and that consistency is at this company’s core.

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