TAGFEE is the acronym for 📝Moz's six core values — Transparent, Authentic, Generous, Fun, Empathetic, and Exceptional — the culture code that has guided the SEO software company since its early SEOmoz era.
What Does Each Letter Stand For?
- Transparent — operating in the open by default
- Authentic — being honest and true to who you are
- Generous — giving more than you take
- Fun — bringing levity and humanity to the work
- Empathetic — leading with understanding for customers and colleagues
- Exceptional — holding a high bar for quality and impact
Moz applied the code beyond wall art — TAGFEE shaped hiring decisions, product calls, and the company's famously transparent blogging culture.
Where Did TAGFEE Come From?
TAGFEE was codified during the company's SEOmoz years and is closely associated with co-founder Rand Fishkin, who examined the code's benefits and costs at length in his 2018 book Lost and Founder. Fishkin has credited the values with building Moz's community-driven brand while acknowledging the tension between radical transparency and conventional startup practice.
Why Is TAGFEE Widely Cited?
The acronym became one of the best-known examples of a published company culture code in the marketing industry, cited in discussions of values-driven company building well beyond Moz itself.
FAQ
What does TAGFEE stand for?
Transparent, Authentic, Generous, Fun, Empathetic, and Exceptional — one value per letter.
Who created TAGFEE?
The code was codified at SEOmoz, the company that became Moz, and is most closely associated with co-founder Rand Fishkin.
What did radical transparency cost Moz?
Fishkin has acknowledged the tension between operating transparently and conventional startup practice, weighing both the benefits and the costs of the code in Lost and Founder.