Skip to content

Introduction

About This Handbook

This handbook is your comprehensive guide to working at and contributing to Ultralytics. It covers our mission, values, operational workflows, and the practical details that make our organization run smoothly.

Purpose and Scope 🎯

This handbook exists to:

  • Align: Ensure everyone understands our mission, values, and strategic priorities
  • Guide: Provide clear procedures for common tasks and processes
  • Empower: Give you the resources to work effectively and make informed decisions
  • Evolve: Serve as a living document that grows with our organization

Who This Handbook Is For 👥

Ultralytics Team Members

Internal employees and contractors will find comprehensive guidance on:

  • Your First 90 Days - Complete onboarding roadmap for new team members
  • Company policies and procedures
  • Financial processes and reimbursements
  • Hardware and software provisioning
  • Security and compliance requirements

Open Source Contributors

Community members contributing to our repositories should reference:

  • Development workflows and coding standards
  • Testing and CI requirements
  • Documentation guidelines
  • Contribution best practices

Partners and Collaborators

External partners can learn about:

  • Our mission, vision, and values
  • How we work and communicate
  • Quality standards and expectations
  • Legal and compliance requirements

How to Use This Handbook 📚

Use the sidebar or top navigation to browse by topic. Key sections include:

  • Mission & Values: Our foundational principles
  • Finance: Travel, relocation, and reimbursement policies
  • Tools: Hardware, software, and email setup
  • Workflows: Development, CI/testing, and documentation
  • Community: How to contribute and engage
  • Legal & Security: Compliance, ethics, and information security

Use the search function (top of page) to quickly find specific topics, policies, or procedures.

Stay Updated

This handbook is maintained in our GitHub repository. Watch for updates or submit pull requests to improve content.

About Ultralytics 🚀

Ultralytics is a world leader in artificial intelligence, creating state-of-the-art computer vision tools that democratize advanced technology. Our flagship YOLO (You Only Look Once) models set the standard for real-time object detection, balancing speed and accuracy at every scale. Learn more on our About page.

What We Do

  • Open Source: Develop YOLO and related computer vision frameworks
  • Research: Push boundaries of AI model performance and efficiency
  • Platform: Build tools for training, deployment, and production AI
  • Community: Support 1M+ developers using our technology worldwide
  • Solutions: Deliver industry-specific AI applications across agriculture, automotive, healthcare, manufacturing, and more

How We Work

  • In-Person First: Most positions are onsite (5 days/week) at our London, Madrid, or Shenzhen offices. All our offices are dog-friendly! 🐕
  • Ship Fast, Learn Faster: MVP-first development with 2-week iteration cycles
  • Open by Default: Transparent decision-making, public development, and open-source first
  • Data-Driven: Metrics guide decisions, user feedback drives roadmap
  • High Autonomy, High Accountability: Freedom to own your work with clear expectations
  • Community-Powered: 1M+ developers and contributors shape our direction

Our Commitment to You 🤝

Meaningful Impact

You'll work on technology used by millions of developers worldwide, from Fortune 500 companies to individual researchers. Your code ships to production systems in autonomous vehicles, medical devices, manufacturing robots, and agricultural drones. This is AI that matters.

Accelerated Growth

Grow faster at Ultralytics than anywhere else:

  • Work directly with founders and technical leaders
  • Own significant projects with high visibility and impact
  • Learning budget for courses, books, and conference attendance
  • Mentorship from world-class AI researchers and engineers
  • Clear paths to senior roles and leadership positions

Competitive Compensation

We offer competitive Series A-level compensation including:

  • Market-rate salaries benchmarked against top tech companies
  • Meaningful equity grants with long exercise windows
  • Performance bonuses and recognition for exceptional contributions
  • Comprehensive benefits package

Discuss compensation details with your manager or HR.

Transparency & Trust

We operate with radical transparency:

  • Open financial metrics and company performance
  • Public product roadmap and development process
  • Clear decision-making with documented reasoning
  • Direct access to leadership and honest 1:1s

World-Class Team

Collaborate with exceptional talent:

  • AI researchers from top universities and companies
  • Engineers who have shipped products to millions
  • Open-source contributors recognized globally
  • Diverse team across 10+ countries and time zones

Living Document Philosophy 📝

This handbook is never finished. As Ultralytics evolves, our processes and policies adapt. We encourage everyone to:

  • Suggest improvements: Submit PRs or contact your manager
  • Ask questions: If something's unclear, others probably wonder too
  • Share feedback: Help us make this handbook more useful

Getting Help 💬

Questions about handbook content?

Welcome! 🌟

Whether you're a new employee, long-time contributor, or exploring Ultralytics for the first time, we're glad you're here. This handbook reflects our commitment to transparency, professionalism, and continuous improvement. Check out our blog for the latest news and insights.

Let's build the future of AI together! 🚀

Last updated: January 2025



📅 Created 1 month ago ✏️ Updated 9 days ago
glenn-jocher