StartUp Cultures

I start companies.  About every seven years or so, I get another one started.  Truth: I have not had a ‘win’ the scale of a Facebook, but I have not had a loser yet, either.  Two went public and initial investors have always made money, how much depended on when they exited.

Over the last 25 years or so, I have learned some painful and expensive lessons.  Now that I have gray hair and some experience, I see more clearly now why many VC firms like to have an experienced venture leader inside the company.

It is not so much that I now have all the answers, far, far from it.  It is more that now, I have a realistic view of what is happening and what the market and each stakeholder is telling you. In other words, I can recognize when the new company is in the minefield. That is the first step in solving any business problem.  Knowing that one exists.

There is one thing completely in my control, and that is the reason why I am excited about TalentCulture.  It’s all about the people on your team and the culture you create.  What I mean is this: while I believe I have greatly influenced the cultures in my previous companies, it turns out that it is more about the people inside than about me making some sort of blanket statement about what the culture should be.

That is what makes it so interesting to reflect on culture.  What are those things that the CEO and his team do that makes the culture either good or bad?  And who defines it?  Is it because everyone is singing Kumbaya at lunch, or is it because people love working at the company?

What I hope to accomplish with TalentCulture is simply to explore these and more cultural questions.  Maybe my experiences will create some more conversations here about this topic.