Five guidelines for communicating the Flatiron voice

• Use shorter sentences and avoid run-ons to counteract a feeling of density or complexity.
  
• Consider your audience when using science or medical terms or concepts. Simplify as necessary. Provide context or a brief definition where appropriate.
  
• Know when more information for the sake of context is too much.
  
• Avoid cliches (e.g., curve ball, back to the drawing board, hole in one, up the ante, double or nothing, top-of-the-funnel, move the needle, low-hanging fruit, peel the onion, boil the ocean, etc.), and avoid metaphors or jargon that go beyond the subject or audience at hand (e.g., sports metaphors, tech jargon if not speaking to engineers, etc.).

• Lead with and back up claims with references, research and proper annotation to showcase our rigor.
  
• Be upfront and transparent about limitations, while also anticipating the questions skeptics in the audience might ask.

• Be deliberate and thoughtful when showing our enthusiastic side (e.g., use exclamation points sparingly). We are a passionate team, but we always remember the seriousness of our mission.
  
• Avoid hyperbole (e.g., avoid saying Flatiron will cure cancer).

Refer to cancer and those in the industry appropriately

• Use matter-of-fact, simple language when referring to cancer or patients (e.g., “She has metastatic breast cancer.”).
  
• Avoid battle-related speak when discussing cancer (e.g., fighting or battling cancer, in the war against cancer, etc.).
  
• Avoid personifying cancer (e.g., “cancer touches lives”).
  
• Avoid publicly disparaging any company or competitor; we support everyone working to improve treatment options and accelerate research.

Follow our grammar style guide

• Use the first and second person to make content relatable and approachable.
  
• Write in the active, not passive, voice when possible for a streamlined, straightforward sentence.