Setting human-centered metrics can improve company culture and bottom line.
Investing in startups that aim to close gaps of opportunity and access can lead to success.
Deep dives
Punderdome: Creating Metrics for Wordplay
Fred Firestone, co-founder of The Punderdome, discusses how he and his daughter created metrics for their wordplay competition using an applause-o-meter and evolved their criteria for prize-worthy puns over the years. They also implemented rules of engagement to foster a positive and inclusive culture at Punderdome.
Lotus: Human-Centered Metrics for Inclusion
Mitch Capor and Dr. Frida Capor Klein, co-founders of Capor Capital, share their experience at Lotus Development Corporation, where they focused on setting human-centered metrics to build an inclusive culture. They used quality-of-work-life surveys, anonymous feedback mechanisms, and tied compensation to values alignment, creating a progressive employer that supported diversity and took a bold stance on societal issues like AIDS.
Closing the Equity Gap: Distance Traveled as an Investment Metric
Mitch and Frida's philanthropic work with aspiring college students led them to create a new investment strategy based on the concept of distance traveled. They understood that entrepreneurs who had overcome significant obstacles often possessed the grit and innovative thinking needed for success. This approach shaped their firm, Kapor Capital, to invest exclusively in startups that aimed to close gaps of opportunity and access for marginalized communities.
Can you build with conscience and still succeed? Mitch Kapor & Dr. Freada Kapor Klein certainly think so. As tech industry veteran founders and investors, Mitch and Freada have long embraced non-traditional metrics that put humans at the center. Mitch co-founded Lotus, the 1980s software giant, and hired Freada to help make the company “the most progressive employer in the U.S.” And years later, their early-stage VC firm, Kapor Capital, aligns their portfolio with their values, investing in companies that close gaps in access and opportunity. Human-centered metrics don’t just improve cultures — they improve the bottom line.