I founded Cedar to build a company that solves hard, consequential problems through excellence. Home affordability is our first mission—not because it is easy or fashionable, but because it is one of the most damaging and unresolved failures in modern Western society. It has steadily worsened for decades, constraining opportunity, distorting markets, and weakening the foundation of the middle class. We are here to change outcomes, not to comment from the sidelines.

Home affordability is the proving ground for how we operate. If we cannot materially improve results in a system this complex and entrenched, we do not deserve the right to tackle anything else. At the same time, Cedar is not a single-problem company. Our ambition is to build a durable institution capable of taking on multiple high-impact missions over time. That requires a culture that compounds—intellectually, operationally, and morally.

Our culture is grounded in meritocracy and extreme accountability. Truth matters. Accuracy about reality matters. We care less about narratives and more about what is actually happening in the world and why. We expect people to speak honestly, challenge assumptions, and revise their thinking when the facts demand it. Radical candor is not a personality trait here; it is a requirement for doing serious work well.

This is a builder’s environment. We work hard because the problems we choose demand it. There will be periods of sustained intensity, long hours, and real pressure. That is not accidental. We are not optimizing for comfort or balance as primary goals; we are optimizing for impact and excellence. People who thrive here take pride in pushing themselves and in delivering under demanding conditions.

Effort without results is insufficient. We judge performance by outcomes, quality of judgment, and rate of improvement. Mistakes are expected and discussed openly; failure to learn from them is unacceptable. When something goes wrong, we diagnose it rigorously, without ego or blame, and fix the root cause. Ownership is not optional.

Conflict in service of the mission is essential. The best ideas must win regardless of title, tenure, or personality. Everyone is expected to speak up when they believe we are wrong, and leaders are expected to listen and engage. Authority exists to drive clarity and execution, not to suppress dissent. Debate is intense; once decisions are made, execution is unified and fast.

Cedar is a team in the truest sense. Our work is deeply interdependent, and weak performance in any area drags down the whole system. We help each other aggressively—but we do not tolerate persistent underperformance or uncooperative behavior. Maintaining a high bar is an obligation to the mission and to one another, even when it requires difficult decisions.

We hire people with steep slopes—people who learn quickly, think independently, and hold themselves to demanding standards. Responsibility and compensation increase rapidly for those who earn it through results. Seniority, credentials, and tenure only matter to the extent that they translate into superior performance.

Compensation is tied to contribution and impact. We pay well and expect excellence in return. Money is not the mission, but it is a mechanism for alignment, accountability, and shared ownership in what we build.

Cedar exists to serve something larger than any individual role or short-term outcome. Home affordability is where we begin. Building a company capable of solving many hard problems over time is where we are going. If you want work that is demanding, honest, and deeply consequential, Cedar may be the most challenging and rewarding place you will ever work. If not, this is not the right environment for you.

This philosophy is the foundation of Cedar. Markets will change. Strategies will evolve. The problems we take on will expand. The standards and way we operate will not.