Yancey Strickler, Kickstarter Co-Founder, discusses shifting from profit-driven to value-focused business culture. Topics include Bentoism philosophy, impact of financial maximization, Metalabel startup, heterarchy in organizations, and personal growth.
Prioritize values over profits for workplace culture.
Use Bentoism to balance short-term and long-term benefits.
Metalabel reshapes creative work landscape through collaboration.
Deep dives
Creating a Workplace Valuing Impact
Yancey Strickler, as a former Kickstarter co-founder, emphasizes the importance of prioritizing values over profits in the workplace culture. He advocates for a world where both financial measures and softer values are equally considered, envisioning a work environment where soft values have equal footing alongside hard values in decision-making processes.
Bentoism: Shifting Perspectives on Value
Yancey Strickler introduces Bentoism as a philosophy to navigate short-term returns for longer-term benefits, challenging the default assumption of financial maximization. Through the concept of a 'Bento box' representing different dimensions of self-interest, Strickler encourages a reevaluation of organizational values beyond traditional monetary metrics.
Metalabel: Reinventing Creative Work
Yancey Strickler's latest project, Metalabel, aims to reshape the creative work landscape by providing a platform for releasing, selling, and exhibiting creative content. Metalabel challenges the traditional model of individualized work by fostering collaborative release vehicles through a meta label structure, emphasizing group creativity and support.
Impact of Company Growth on Organizational Dynamics
Jeffrey West's study on companies suggests that organizations face a critical transformation point at around 50 employees, where operational roles begin to shift focus towards internal support functions. Strickler's experience at Kickstarter echoes the challenges of maintaining a balance between growth and mission-oriented practices as companies expand.
Wisdom, Humility, and Evolving Perspectives
Yancey Strickler reflects on his growth over time, highlighting a shift towards greater humility and recognizing the difficulties inherent in every task. His focus on learning from past experiences and maintaining a sense of humility in the face of challenges signifies a deep understanding of how to navigate the complexities of organizational and personal growth.
In a world where company worth is often measured by profits alone, Yancey Strickler sought to create a company where values mattered more than just money. Throughout his career as an author and co-founder of Kickstarter and Metalabel, Yancey continuously advocates for a new view of success, emphasizing the impact companies can make beyond the financial bottom line.
Yancey Strickler is the co-founder and former CEO of Kickstarter and the co-founder and director of Metalabel. He is also the author of This Could Be Our Future and the mind behind the philosophy of Bentoism, a framework that considers community, the present self, and the future self in decision-making.
In this episode, Dart and Yancey discuss: - Financial maximization culture - Defining a company’s value beyond profits - Kickstarter’s bylaws - The philosophy behind Bentoism - The impact of financial maximization on company evolution - The Metalabel startup - Heterarchy in organizations - Yancey’s biggest lessons learned - And other topics…
Yancey Strickler is a writer, entrepreneur, and the co-founder and former CEO of Kickstarter. He is also the co-founder and director of Metalabel, a new space for releasing, selling, and exhibiting creative work. Yancey is the author of This Could Be Our Future and the visionary behind the philosophy of Bentoism, a framework that considers community, the present self, and the future self in decision-making.
Earlier in his career, Yancey established the record label eMusic Selects and co-founded The Creative Independent, an online resource center for artists across disciplines. He has also made significant contributions as a music critic, writing for publications such as Pitchfork, Spin, and The Village Voice.
Work with Dart: Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.
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