TechFlash - Latest Comments in Thirteen key characteristics of a great startup culture

Re: Thirteen key characteristics of a great startup culture

Prince Jain — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 20:39:00 -0000

Agree, Great article.
People should also evaluate startups before joining.
“http://tinyurl.com/lr6nwx”

Re: Thirteen key characteristics of a great startup culture

Jose Jimenez — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 06:29:00 -0000

This is a pretty useless article. It lacks actionable advice.

I used to think that business was about survival of the fittest. I've come to realize that it is about survival of the least dysfunctional. I describe it to people as a room full of people hitting themselves in the face with hammers. The last guy to hit the deck .. wins.

Your company could be a dysfunctional hellhole rife with politics and nepotism, but if your main competitor is a dysfunctional hellhole rife with politics, nepotism and an embezzling CEO, relatively speaking you're doing OK.

Re: Thirteen key characteristics of a great startup culture

Susan — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:45:00 -0000

Greg - you missed simplicity. Your list is too long. Start-up leadership doesn't have the time to keep a bakers dozen of cultural principles in mind. Choose a few that map best to their strategy and brand - then relentlessly live them.

Re: Thirteen key characteristics of a great startup culture

SocialMediaType — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:40:00 -0000

The idea behind the start-up is most important thing, and that is what is difficult to get correct. Once an idea 'works' then things come into place - driven by raw human energy derived from knowing they are right.

Re: Thirteen key characteristics of a great startup culture

jon carder — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 08:55:00 -0000

CASH FLOW - nothing kills a company faster, nothing. So those responsible need to make sure the company has the cash it needs to achieve its goals. This is the glue/foundation that holds it all together.

Re: Thirteen key characteristics of a great startup culture

brent — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:29:00 -0000

Comment 63 said, "I find #3 (intolerance of mediocrity)particularly objectionable. "

How is mediocrity objectionable? Is that to say that sucking is ok? Not giving your all is worthy of reward?

Perfection is a journey not a destination. As you make that journey dedication is required. Life is short. If your only desire is to do the minimum you're a threat and danger to a community.

I'll take an employee who gives their all and fails, before I take one who gives the bare minimum to nearly scrape by. At least the latter is living a honest life and will deliver the community to truth in a more timely manner.

I think this list provides a valuable analysis. More could be added but the fundamental message is clear and accurate. I'll subscribe and take a page from this book.

Re: Thirteen key characteristics of a great startup culture

Nancy Raulston — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:18:00 -0000

I would add "fostering creative tension". I am afraid that we all value "intelligence" so highly that we create an environment where people are terrified of not "being right" . We see all sorts of "trying to not be wrong" behaviors -- clinging to what has worked before, defending their own point of view to the death (rather than listening to other's positions), and all sorts of bad conflict management techniques (manipulation, condescension, lobbying, intimidation, etc.) In healthy companies I have consulted to, people accept that their best partner in a project is the person who thinks most differently from them -- because together they will think of all possible approaches and identify all possible glitches in the idea. In the unhealthy companies I have worked with (unfortunately much more common), conflict becomes a battlefield with no one willing to give an inch -- or the management teams learn to engage in "fake discussion" where they stop short of really making a decision, so that each of them can do what they want (which really impacts the "alignment" aspect")

Re: Thirteen key characteristics of a great startup culture

Larry Wilson — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 07:10:00 -0000

10. Customer-obsessed. I have been in two startups and I started my own company www.wilsonresearch.com. And we have partnered with several startups, the latest in Silicon Valley www.drobo.com, very successful launch in 2007. My firm belief, it is why I am doing what I am doing, is that getting the target customer right should be very high on the list. This is what happens...
1. The target moves if you take a year or two to develop a product -- if you don't keep up with the target you will miss the wave.
2. Focus on quantitative real market data consistently solves many of the other items: time-to-market is faster, focus is on real evidence not seat of the pants stuff, ends endless marketing/engineering arguments about most needed features, gives marketing the focus for simple messaging, provides a steady foundation for transitioning from 10 to 100 person company, gives "best practice" management style for the second, and third acts, provides investors with real world evidence that the company is on target with its audience.
While I recognize leadership, will to win, and other cultural factors are necessary, I feel strongly that solid and constant market based evidence steadies the ship and aims it at the right port of entry. It is foundational to any startup and takes a higher ranking than some of the other items that are really not controllable.

Re: Thirteen key characteristics of a great startup culture

Aaron Fyke — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 09:39:00 -0000

Wow. There is nothing like controversy to get people interested. First, to the flamers - you may criticize this advice as "obvious", but that doesn't explain why I've been part of about eight organizations now and ALL of them suffered from an inability to nail at least a few items on this list.

It's a fallacy to say people want to work less and get paid more. At least, not the people I work with. The people I work with realize that we're only on this planet for a few short decades and if we want to kick butt and make a difference, then life is too short to be working somewhere where that isn't happening.

One of the best cultures I experienced was at MIT. MIT doesn't do legacy. MIT doesn't give honorary degrees. MIT is a pure meritocracy - they don't give a rats where you came from, but if you are the best on the planet, you are welcome there. Want respect at MIT? take the hardest classes, the toughest workload, and kick butt doing it. People there know that they are surrounded by the best. Google implemented a culture like that when they started, and you can bet that that's what I'm looking for whenever I'm involved in an organization.

Greg, thanks for summing this up - not only were your headlines good, but your examples were even better.

Re: Thirteen key characteristics of a great startup culture

John Stack — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 01:47:00 -0000

This is one of the few blog posts I've read where the commentary completely subsumes the blog post itself. I loved that.

My thoughts: All you really need is a team with the will and desire and ability to execute. Even the best teams exhibit the worst behaviors. Its human nature.

Re: Thirteen key characteristics of a great startup culture

Lee Brillhart — Sun, 31 May 2009 10:41:00 -0000

Hater, et. al. anonymous flamers - what have you started/created? It's really easy and actually quite pathetic to hide behind the cloak of anonymity and toss Molotov cocktails over the wall. Oh well.

Is all this "obvious"? It's not rocket science but it always amazes me how frequently people don't engage in a little self-assessment from time to time. Many entrepreneurs are PARTICULARLY bad at this. So it's helpful to have a checklist of things to measure yourself against from time-to-time. I would add to this list "A true openness to Partnering". I know well from experience that all the items Greg listed are important but have also learned that sometimes startups who may score well on most of the 13 attributes above develop an NIH arrogance that impedes progress overall because a technology team or sales/marketing group balks at working with a partner because "we can do it better" or "cheaper". I'm not talking about core stuff, but stuff that adds value, either to the core product/service or is complementary. There are sufficient roadblocks to success that it makes no sense to gratuitously turn down opportunities to partner with outsiders who can help.

Re: Thirteen key characteristics of a great startup culture

Bill — Sun, 31 May 2009 00:00:00 -0000

All of these points are obvious.

The problem I see is that quite a few of them reinforce notions that are wrongheaded and counterproductive.

I find #3 particularly objectionable as it creates a stifling, unbearable attitude at many companies which makes #1, #12 impossible.

Platitudes such as 'no politics' and 'intolerance' are not only divorced from reality, but they reinforce unrealistic and objectionable behaviors which make working at many firms impossible and is a recipe for creating sweatshops.

Re: Thirteen key characteristics of a great startup culture

sardire — Sat, 30 May 2009 15:21:00 -0000

I generally agree with comment #45

Yes in theory but show me the practice.

Also funny that most VC's can proselytize but cannot actually practice what they preach ;)

Re: Thirteen key characteristics of a great startup culture

Robert Hacker — Thu, 28 May 2009 09:15:00 -0000

You omitted analytical.Maybe you are the only VC who is not a data junky :)

Re: Thirteen key characteristics of a great startup culture

Ralf Lippold — Wed, 27 May 2009 10:30:00 -0000

...my thought is:

quick learning through instant prototyping easy failing and creating lasting value

....startuping is a continuous process, evolving over time;-)

Cheers,

Ralf

PS.: Right now we are building up an action research driven innovation incubator based on the ideas around singularity. http://twitter.com/LockSchu...

Re: Thirteen key characteristics of a great startup culture

Stephen DeCourcy — Wed, 27 May 2009 08:28:00 -0000

Greg,

I have worked for many start-ups that have all posted comments and creeds about the importance of it employees and it customer however they often fail I found that some many companies that I have worked for had great ideas but failed to build a sustainable business model, further more all of these wonderful “characteristics” are out the window come quarter or year end when management needs us to drag in the deals at any cost.

I read a great quote from a Portland VC firm’s website, “"More startups die of indigestion than starvation. Focus. Focus. Focus! "

Re: Thirteen key characteristics of a great startup culture

Nikhil Kulkarni — Tue, 26 May 2009 19:37:00 -0000

I would say these are characteristics of any successful team - whether in a startup or not.

Re: Thirteen key characteristics of a great startup culture

Denny Chapin — Tue, 26 May 2009 16:03:00 -0000

Greg, I really enjoyed this article. It was informative and well written. Thanks.

-Denny Chapin

Re: Thirteen key characteristics of a great startup culture

CEO Culture — Sun, 24 May 2009 16:53:00 -0000

"That's why we/I usually ask to have multiple executives present at board meetings and try to establish relationships with others on the team. We could do a better job here"

Yeah. I've worked for several startups in both individual contributor and managerial roles. Trust me, any VC who takes the word of a CEO about the company culture is insane. And if you think a couple CEO-picked execs are going to give you a "real" perspective on the company's culture, you're drinking the kool-aid faster than the CEO is pouring it.

How about this for a novel idea? Actually contact rank and file employees and take them out to lunch... Talk to them about what it's like to work for the CEO and what type of culture he or she is creating. I'd bet a 100 bucks that the employees view of the company culture is radically different that what the CEO and his/her preening execs have told you around the board table.

Does this take extra time? You bet it does. Will it give you a view you aren't getting from the CEO who spends all of his time promising you that he's building a "killer start-up culture". Yes indeed.

If only board members, VCs, and angels spent an extra 10-15 hours a year talking with real-live employees of the companies they fund. It's not that much time. How many disasters and cluster f%#ks would be avoided because they actually got information from the ground floor and not the penthouse?

Re: Thirteen key characteristics of a great startup culture

Steffen Konrath — Sun, 24 May 2009 07:20:00 -0000

Nice posting. Would agree with most of what was written here.

Re: Thirteen key characteristics of a great startup culture

Laurent — Sun, 24 May 2009 04:44:00 -0000

Thanks for this post, it is indeed a very interesting subject that can be perceived in many ways.

At the end of the day what counts is that you know if the focus of the venture is the "end" or the "means".
What I mean is that many great companies focus on the result while other prefer enjoying the journey. The company's culture reflects this perspective.

Pesonally I think that the founders must have a very clear idea of the goals or mission the company is striving for, while at the same time offer an unforgetable experience not only to the employees, but to all the stakeholders.

At least, that's what we're trying to do and it's not easy...

Re: Thirteen key characteristics of a great startup culture

Laurent — Sun, 24 May 2009 04:43:00 -0000

Thanks for this post, it is indeed a very interesting subject that can be perceived in many ways.

At least, that's what we're trying to do and it's not easy...

Re: Thirteen key characteristics of a great startup culture

Celeste — Sat, 23 May 2009 16:18:00 -0000

Persistence - I have been to many start-up presentations and there are many valuable companies that take over 10 years to appear at the top. Why because they believe in their end goal. Once they take off they stay, they know all they need to know about their product, and their customers and don't need a consulting firm to put them in the same box as every company around. The rules only fit perfectly if you want to be the same box as everyone else. I always thought that start-up meant out of the box thinking.

Re: Thirteen key characteristics of a great startup culture

Late to the party — Fri, 22 May 2009 13:25:00 -0000

Did Gottesman really post a Sally Fields oscar clip in reponse? Um, intelligent humor that isn't. Just lame, actually.

But not suprised given your rally around the importance of culture ephiphany after < wait for it > TEN YEARS?!!!!

Re: Thirteen key characteristics of a great startup culture

Bill Reller — Fri, 22 May 2009 10:20:00 -0000

I like the list and some of the suggested additions.
I'd add two more.
First, "Maintain Intellectual Honesty." By that I mean, don't blindly drink the Kool Aid. Too many CEOs confuse "cheer-leading" with "leading". If something is broken, admit it and fix it. Don't modify a power point and convince yourself (and team) that the problem has gone away. Sounds basic but the majority of start-ups fail right here.
Second, create a "learning" and "modifying" organization. Very few great start-ups begin with the right plan. But they start with an idea, get out in the market and learn, and then modify their idea. Sounds basic but actually very difficult to execute.