GitLab, the industry-leading DevSecOps platform, had built a reputation as pioneers of remote work. Their public handbook and async-first culture had earned them recognition as a great remote company where openness was celebrated. The brief noted:

“Many team members and candidates think about GitLab as a great remote company first and often times don’t know more than that.” 

But GitLab’s story was richer and more ambitious than that single dimension suggested. As the company matured, they needed to articulate the full picture: yes, they pioneered new ways of working, but they were also building the world’s most comprehensive AI-powered DevSecOps platform.

Our challenge was clear. How do you showcase the complete employee experience whilst evolving towards your next chapter?

Our research revealed a fascinating tension at the heart of GitLab’s culture. Speaking to employees across the organisation, we identified seven core themes that split into two distinct narratives:

We realised that neither narrative was right nor wrong. Both needed to coexist. The old GitLab had to inform the new GitLab.

Our competitor analysis revealed a crowded landscape where most players defaulted to similar territory: remote work benefits, developer-focused messaging, and generic culture statements. Whilst these themes had merit, they left significant white space.

We saw the opportunity for GitLab to own the space by articulating a high-performance culture that truly reflected their product. An open, collaborative platform built by an open, collaborative team. Revolutionary work enabled by a revolutionary way of working. Where others talked about benefits or flexibility, GitLab could talk about contribution and impact.

Armed with our research insights and the strategic framework, we developed five creative territories to explore how GitLab’s story could be told.

The winning territory, “Careers, co-created”, emerged because it captured something fundamental: at GitLab, you’re building the future of software delivery itself. And in doing so, you’re co-creating your own future.

This concept evolved into the final EVP statement: “Co-create the future.”

It was simple, ownable, and true. It connected the product (an open-source platform built through contribution) with the culture (a collaborative environment where everyone contributes).

The concept worked on two levels: you’re co-creating the future of software delivery, while simultaneously co-creating your own career trajectory.

At GitLab, our mission is simple: to enable everyone to contribute to and co-create the software that powers our world.

Using Atomic’s proprietary EVP framework, we crystallised the core components into four strategic pillars:

This EVP succeeds because it doesn’t shy away from complexity. It acknowledges that:

• High performance is holistic – driven by people and measured in impact, not just hours or presence
• Freedom requires responsibility – async work demands accountability and self-direction
• Transparency builds trust – an open-source ethos creates security and assurance
• Ambition needs support – challenging work requires a foundation of collaboration and care

The EVP bridges the old and new GitLab. The values that built the company remain central, but now they’re explicitly connected to results and impact. Remote work isn’t the story—it’s an enabler of the real story: building something that matters.

Where competitors leaned on generic messaging or narrow positioning, GitLab now has an EVP that is:

• Ownable – Rooted in their unique product and open-source philosophy
• Balanced – Honouring heritage whilst driving towards high performance
• Inclusive – Speaking to developers whilst welcoming diverse talent
• Action-oriented – Focused on contribution and impact, rather than just benefits
• Scalable – A platform for ongoing employer brand development

The “Co-create the future” concept gives GitLab a rallying cry that works internally and externally. For current team members, it validates the meaningful work they’re doing. For candidates, it articulates the opportunity: join us and you’re helping shape the future of software development, starting with your own career.

Defining the EVP was just the beginning. Now we’re working with GitLab to bring “Co-create the future” to life through our three-part launch approach:

The EVP is the foundation. The launch is how it becomes part of GitLab’s DNA.

GitLab’s story reminds us that employer branding isn’t about choosing between who you were and who you want to be. The best EVPs find the thread that connects both: the authentic narrative that makes the evolution make sense.

In GitLab’s case, that thread was always there. In a company built on co-creation, why wouldn’t the culture be co-created too?