Founder Behaviour Has a Lot to Answer for…
In many instances, the startup experience is akin to creating a religious cult, with early employees being unwavering believers, adorned with company-branded hoodies and other tacky items. Startup culture is a founder’s greatest asset, and you will do well to recognise this goodwill and nurture it. Do not take it for granted or risk corrupting it with decisions that could be perceived as morally and ethically corrupt. Once integrity is lost, it will never be repaired, which is why it’s critical to take good care of your people and treat them with respect, dignity and fairness.
Don’t Let Your Personality, or Lack of One, Get in the Way
It may seem obvious to say, but when personalities are involved, it is easy to allow yourself to be triggered, especially when outcomes don’t meet expectations – a regular occurrence in any young business. Many founders are themselves difficult and complex characters with their own idiosyncrasies, which many would do well to mask and not reveal too frequently. It is well documented that narcissistic behaviours are a common trait in founders. Remember, we’re talking about a demographic who are probably the only people that still feel the need to use a mouse mat – a company-branded mouse mat of course.
Hiding Behind Screens is a Sign of Weakness
In the age of the gifted technopreneur, who excels at coding but may be somewhat introverted, there is the real challenge that they lack the softer interpersonal and communication skills to lead and manage people effectively. They may be experts in their technical field for sure, but leading a business is something completely different and very hard to do while hiding behind a screen and sending out autistic messages via Slack channels. Hiding behind Slack is a pathetic sign of weakness and will not serve you, your team or the business. This is a very powerful sign that your startup is on the inevitable road to failure. Massive ego? Check. Lack of new customers? Check. Too many technical hires? Check. Employees think you’re a bit of dick? Check. Re-mortgaged the house to cover self-indulgent costs, and because no one wants to buy your product? Check.
Excited By the Journey
All of this is a cocktail for disaster. Starting a business is hard enough as it is; just wait for the inevitable dip in sales, which every startup will experience at some point. Watch how a founder handles that scenario. Startups represent both a real and philosophical journey into the unknown and can be an emotionally charged environment. Most employees are there because they want the experience and believe in the vision. They’re willing to make many sacrifices, such as being overworked for low salaries, poor benefits and a lack of training and investment, and not least putting up with erratic founders. They will work harder to create small miracles of success, pulling up trees to make up for a lack of resources to help the company succeed.
Support Your Team
Founders must show their team unrelenting support and consistency, while giving them the benefit of the doubt when things go wrong. When there are situations where individual performance is not up to scratch, then action needs to be taken, but always under the umbrella of understanding why, rather than automatically blaming. Is it really the team member’s own failing or does the problem lie in a lack of support, direction, guidance, resources or all the above? Being realistic and fair must be a first principle and founders must always avoid hiring and then immediately firing, or making any decision based on emotion. If culture means anything to you, and it must, then being reckless and making knee-jerk decisions when facing challenges will only ever produce a negative outcome.
Inspiring and Motivating Your Believers
The modern working environment is hybrid and, in many instances, completely remote. Startups have the added benefit that they tend to be more flexible than larger employers with their rigid practices and policies. Early-stage businesses tend to be more friendly, personal and human, although maintaining such a culture as the business grows will be your biggest challenge. Many professionals choose the startup life because they know they will be given the freedom to take responsibility and get on with the job with minimum supervision. This gives them a sense of autonomy that allows them, at least to some extent, to architect their own path within an overarching vision that everyone works towards.
Repeat the Vision
A dynamic work environment will help promote your startup’s culture and make it an attractive place to work, with the added benefit of providing unique opportunities for growth and impact. Having clearly defined Purpose, Mission and Vision (PMV) statements is necessary to support a dynamic and consistent culture. Your vision must be compelling enough for everyone to get behind, so they will go above and beyond to push in the same direction. This will help inspire and attract like-minded individuals who are passionate about your goals, which is why these things need to be written down, along with your core values. Once done, these statements are tools you must regularly call upon and reference to inspire and motivate the team, ensuring everyone remains aligned and focused on the strategy and destination.
Recruit Believers, Not Workers
Your PMV statements are not a gimmick, and if you are serious about developing your new business, then they must be taken seriously and done properly. Company culture is not something you can take for granted but something you must invest time and effort to develop. Founders are the curators who nurture the culture through their communications and behaviours, as employees are always watching and learning from everything you do and say. Hiring new people who align immediately with your values is the quickest way to create and develop a lasting and desirable company culture that will outperform your competitors.
Your Culture Transfers Directly to the Customer Experience
A strong and aligned company culture will also help to ensure you have a cohesive and collaborative team who get along and enjoy working together. Many valued professional and personal friendships are made working in startups, often spanning decades. This exemplifies that trust built over time has significant value and can transfer into new environments. This trust also transfers across company borders and will be felt by your customers. If they feel positively about your customer experience, this signals tangible benefits that differentiate your business from its competitors. Customers value working with providers they feel they can depend upon and trust. The culture of your startup will transfer directly to the customer, so you’d better make sure it’s a good one.
You may want to read: “How to Define Your Target Market.”
