The Orca Echo, the Sunday Scaries, and Nevin’s Notes
A self-deprecating origin story of the weekly memo that was never meant to be serious, but somehow became essential.
It started as a joke.
A quick-hit Sunday email. Part reflection, part “please read this before Monday chaos hits.” Nevin sent it out with low expectations and a fair amount of self-deprecating humor. The tone was casual. The structure? Loosely organized at best. And the name? The Orca Echo — a tongue-in-cheek nod to the company's logo and the fact that half the time it felt like he was yelling into the void.
No one was supposed to take it seriously. But then… they did.
People started referencing it in meetings. Forwarding it to new team members. Quoting parts back to him weeks later. And suddenly, this goofy little Sunday note had become part of the culture — not because it was polished or profound, but because it was real.
In a workplace where communication often feels corporate and clinical, Nevin’s Notes hit different. They were:
Honest without oversharing
Smart without being pretentious
Funny in the “yep, that’s exactly how it feels” way
But most of all, they were consistent. The kind of rhythm people didn’t realize they needed until it was part of their week.
Why it mattered more than expected:
It created a shared language across functions and levels
It offered psychological air cover on tough weeks
It reminded people they were part of something human, not just high-performing
In retrospect, it makes sense. In the absence of ceremony or traditional all-hands updates, a consistent, authentic voice filled a gap. It wasn’t planned. But it worked.
So yes — it started as a joke. But like most great culture moments, it stuck because it was unexpectedly useful, refreshingly human, and never tried too hard.
And now? It’s essential.
