Cold Call Inside Coinbase’s Mission-First, Remote-First Bet
Dec 9, 2025
Charles Wang, a Harvard Business School professor specializing in corporate governance, and L.J. Brock, Chief People Officer at Coinbase, share insights on Coinbase's transformative policies. They discuss the challenges and reactions to the company's shift towards a mission-first and remote-first culture. Brock explains how this approach helps attract aligned talent while navigating external criticism. Wang examines the trade-offs between focus and inclusion, emphasizing the long-term benefits of such bold moves in a volatile industry.
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Mission Shapes Strategy And Controls
- Coinbase framed its strategy around becoming the trustworthy on-ramp in a volatile industry.
- That mission drove culture, controls, and regulatory positioning to differentiate on trust.
The Mission First Announcement Moment
- When Brian Armstrong published the Mission First blog in 2020, employees reacted with confusion and angst.
- Coinbase then spent time explaining what Mission First meant and what it did not mean to the workforce.
Lead With Authentic Communication
- Be authentic: communicate decisions that reflect leadership's true beliefs to gain credibility.
- Authenticity makes external criticism easier to address because stakeholders can understand the principles behind choices.