The most practical things are make sure there's an entire interview dedicated to questions about whatever you're trying to test with culture. You have to design questions that basically will pull this out of someone or give you some signal, right? The one we used for testing MCI or most charitable interpretation is really important. And then I think case studies, like as many case studies you can do, like little mini case studies are really important.
Culture at a startup is always tricky, but there’s one common mistake founders should avoid at all costs. It’s the desire to make everyone happy all the time. Patrick says this leads to a “culture of accommodation” which ultimately ends up not working for anyone. Hear Patrick’s journey as a founder to define the culture at ProfitWell, and how you can do the same at your startup.
Episode Highlights
- [00:03 - 01:31] Episode intro: Patrick Campbell
- [01:59 - 04:04] What is the role and importance of company culture in today's market environment?
- [06:39 - 10:26] The culture of ProfitWell and the journey to get there
- [12:15 - 16:26] The most charitable interpretation
- [17:23 - 20:08] ProfitWell values and four principles
- [20:21 - 23:16] Speaking their mind, being human in the most charitable way
- [21:11 - 23:16] Values and principles must have trade-offs
- [23:16 - 25:41] Here's how we operate, transparency in hiring
- [25:46 - 32:10] Advice for making culture something more than theoretical, a real experience
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