Understanding Company Culture During Interviews

The hardest part of leading a startup isn’t what you think. It’s not fundraising.  It’s not competition. It’s keeping your team motivated when things get tough. We’ve all heard the phrase, “Lead like your team is made of volunteers” — and it sounds inspiring, but it’s wrong. Yes, people often join startups for the mission, not just the paycheck. But they’re still workers, not volunteers. And no matter how strong your vision is, motivation isn’t automatic. → It’s built → It’s sustained → and it can be lost The real challenge of leadership isn’t setting the vision. It’s creating a culture that holds up under pressure. Startups that get this right focus on 3 things: 1. They define culture early Culture isn’t what you say, it’s what you reinforce. Set the right expectations from day one. 2. They hire for contribution, not just experience An engaged, adaptable hire is more valuable than a senior executive who isn’t invested. 3. They don’t let growth dilute culture If you deprioritize culture for speed, you’ll struggle to fix it later. I’ve seen it firsthand: The best founders treat culture like a core business function, not an afterthought. It’s what keeps teams engaged through the hardest moments. How do you keep your team motivated when things get tough?

Founders' post about culture when revenue is up. Nobody talks about culture when there's no revenue, funding, or certainty. When COVID hit in March 2020, The Sleep Company was five months old. We had a handful of people. We had no funding, no brand name, and suddenly, no clarity on whether the world would even let us survive. → There was no ₹2700 crore valuation to inspire loyalty → There was no "great culture" playbook to fall back on There was just uncertainty, and a simple choice every single person on our team had to make. Stay or go. Here's what I did. I asked our factory workers to stay at the plant. We arranged their food, their safety, and every precaution we could think of. These people showed up when we were making 3 mattresses a day, and I wasn't going to let them feel abandoned when things got hard. To my surprise, not one person from that early team left. I shared the stories of many of my early employees, of how they stuck with us and grew to much greater heights as we progressed. Most startup cultures are built for sunny days. Ping pong tables, team lunches, motivational Slack messages. That stuff disappears the moment revenue dips or funding stalls. The uncomfortable truth is that most founders will never know their real culture because they've never been tested. I got tested five months in, and the people who stayed didn't stay for the brand. They stayed because they believed in what we were building before it was worth anything. Has a tough phase ever revealed who really believed in what you were building?

Most companies say people come first. Their calendars tell a different story. Nithin Kamath recently shared the workplace philosophy that shaped Zerodha over the last 16 years. The company made a conscious choice to avoid the hustle culture many startups celebrate. No aggressive monthly targets. No late-night calls becoming routine. No weekend work being treated as commitment. It started at the top. Kamath stopped sending late-night emails because he knew leaders don't just set goals. They set expectations. Today, many Zerodha employees have stayed with the company for more than a decade. That's not luck. It's the outcome of a culture built with intention. The interesting part isn't that Zerodha is a "nice place to work." It's that this approach has become a BUSINESS advantage. Lower burnout, better retention, and a team that sticks around long enough to build deep expertise. Sometimes, the strongest competitive edge isn't working more hours. It's creating an environment where people actually want to stay. Do you think companies can build high-performing teams without relying on hustle culture? #leadership #workculture #zerodha #management #employeeretention #startupculture

I used to say “we’re like a family” at my startup. Big mistake. Families forgive dysfunction. Startups can’t afford it. If someone’s not performing, you don’t “hope it gets better” — you take action. If your culture avoids hard conversations,  you’re building rot, not trust. You can still lead with empathy. You can still care deeply about your team. But never forget: This is a mission. Not a dinner table. You’re building something that has to survive  not just feel good.

8 signs you’re in a healthy workplace culture (not just surviving, but actually growing): Most people can name the red flags. But the green ones?  They’re just as important. Here are 8 that give careers a huge boost: 1. You can question ideas without fear    ↳ Teams aren’t meant to agree on everything.    ↳ Healthy challenge leads to sharper thinking. 2. No one gets away with bad behavior    ↳ Gossip, favoritism, and poor conduct aren’t ignored.    ↳ Everyone is held to the same standard.    3. Leaders expect more, and help you get there    ↳ The bar is high, but so is the support.    ↳ Set clear goals. Provide the tools to succeed. 4. You’re trusted to own the work    ↳ You’re not just executing tasks.    ↳ You’re shaping outcomes.    5. Feedback flows freely, and helps you grow   ↳ It’s part of how people work together.    ↳ Early, honest, and focused on growth.    6. Recognition is real, and earned   ↳ Effort is seen. Impact is acknowledged.    ↳ And not just once a year.    7. Your career is a shared priority   ↳ You’re not left to figure it out alone.    ↳ Leaders care about where you’re heading next.    8. Everyone takes pride in their work   ↳ Not because they have to. Because they want to.   ↳ That energy is hard to fake.    A high-performance culture doesn’t mean perfect. It means working in a place where people  challenge, support, and respect each other. If you’ve found that, it’s worth holding onto. And if you haven’t, now you know what to look for. What would you add to the list? Reshare ♻️ to help someone in your network. And give me a follow for more posts like this.

I've worked inside startups that grew from a handful of people into something much bigger. And I watched something happen every time. In the early days, culture wasn't a strategy. It was just the air we breathed. The founders were right there, in the room, in the Slack channel, at the lunch table. Their energy, their vision, their values—it all transferred through proximity. Then the company scaled. New hires came in waves. Suddenly there were layers, departments, and people who had never met the founders face-to-face. The mission and values didn't change in the founders' minds, but the connection to them, and cohesion around them started to weaken. I've seen founders try to solve this with all-hands meetings, town halls, written memos. Those help. But they don't fully bridge the gap. What I've noticed works differently is regular video from the founder. Not polished corporate productions. Real, human, conversational video where the founder tells stories. Stories about why the company exists. Stories about hard decisions. Stories about what's at stake and what's possible. Video carries something that text and slides can't: presence. Tone. Energy. The subtle cues that build trust even when you're not in the same room. And storytelling does something even more powerful. It doesn't just inform people, it invites them into a shared narrative. It reminds them why they joined. It gives them language to carry the mission forward in their own conversations. Culture doesn't scale through policies. It scales through stories, told consistently by leaders who model their lessons and are willing to show up as real human beings. If you're a founder feeling that distance creeping in, video might be the bridge you're looking for. ❓ How do you stay connected to your team as your company grows? 👇 Drop your approach in the comments. #storytelling #founders #trust

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” But what does that 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 mean for startups? Startup culture as we know it is being reshaped,  and not for the better 😖 . As Big Tech doubles down on carrots and sticks, slashes DEI efforts, and treats culture as a control system (see my previous post), many founders risk swinging to the same extreme, mistaking pressure for performance and systems for soul. So let’s go one step deeper: What is culture, really? And how do you define it — 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 — before it defines you? Company culture isn’t your office snacks. Or your offsite in Bali. Or your Notion wiki of aspirational values. It’s your 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐲. It’s the way things 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 get done. It’s what stays when you’re no longer in the room. Yet most founders only start thinking about culture once things go wrong: people disengage, silos appear, performance drops. 🚫 They try to fix it with perks or slogans. ✅ What they need is 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝐒𝐨, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐒 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞? It’s not what you 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 your company was! It’s what your people 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦. Culture starts from you, the founder. And it’s embedded in how your team makes decisions, handles stress, and defines success. To make it explicit and consistent, you need to define four foundational elements: 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 – Why do we exist? What’s our founding story? 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 – What exactly do we do, and for whom? 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 – Where are we going in the long term? 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 – How do we work together and get things done here? These four elements connect your business strategy with your people strategy — and THAT’S what gives you long-term alignment, performance, and engagement. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲: ✍ Start by understanding your own working style as a founder. How do you act under pressure? What do you value most in others? 🗣 Ask your team what it’s really like to work at your company. Get the good, the bad, and the ugly. ❗ Don’t invent “aspirational” values. Name what’s true. Don’t say “empowered” if you're micromanaging. Make it 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 (not a value) if you want it to change. 📣 Once defined, make sure these values show up everywhere: hiring, onboarding, decision-making, feedback, promotions. 🎯 The goal of culture is NOT to please everyone. It’s to 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦. And remember, anyone can copy your business model. But no one can copy your culture... unless you don’t define it yourself! #CompanyCulture #Leadership #PeopleStrategy #FromZeroTo1000 #StartupFounders #OrganisationDesign

In my experience, trust is forged through shared adversity, not through ping pong tables and free lunch. Culture is the shared language on your team that helps everyone build in the same direction, at the same time - and it all hinges on trust. Trust in each other, trust in the product, and trust in YOUR leadership. It’s built by working through challenges together, creating the kinds of stories that define what it means to be on a team. The same thing applies to startups. You're making hundreds of decisions every day - individually, in pairs, in teams, across functions. You’re not going to agree with every decision, but high-trust environments let you move forward anyway. Trust fills the space between “that’s not what I would have done” and “but I’ll back you up.” That’s what culture should do: fill the communication gaps with enough mutual understanding that progress doesn't stall. And you don’t get that understanding by offering free Red Bulls or a company-wide gym membership. That’s why investing in team retreats, friendly competitions, even the occasional silly game, actually matters. These moments give people something to overcome together. Something to laugh about. Something to carry forward. The stories become the culture. The culture builds trust. And trust lets you move fast. If you want to move fast, invest in the company’s culture.

69% employees are disengaged (Gallup). These 9 green flags can change that. We spend one-third of our lives at work - the culture we’re in matters. A toxic workplace will drain you. But a compassionate one? It energizes you, supports you, and helps you thrive. Here are 9 signs you’re in a workplace that actually cares: 1️⃣ Your boss trusts you ✅ You have autonomy over your work, and schedule. ✅ Your ideas are valued, and you’re not micromanaged. 2️⃣ You feel safe to speak up ✅ Open and transparent communication is the norm. ✅ Feedback is welcomed, not punished. 3️⃣ Your work feels meaningful ✅ You know your role contributes to something bigger. ✅ Leadership reinforces the company’s mission. 4️⃣ The culture supports your growth ✅ Feedback is a tool for improvement, not criticism. ✅ Learning opportunities are encouraged. 5️⃣ Your colleagues have your back ✅ Support is available when you need it. ✅ Managers check in on well-being - not just deadlines. 6️⃣ Your work is rewarded fairly ✅ Your contributions are recognized and valued. ✅ Promotions are based on merit, not office politics. 7️⃣ You feel like you’re in it together ✅ People collaborate, not compete. ✅ Knowledge is shared; credit is given freely 8️⃣ You can log off after work ✅ Work-life balance is respected. ✅ No pressure to check emails late at night. 9️⃣ You can be yourself ✅ You’re valued for who you are, not just what you do. ✅ Different perspectives are welcomed. 🚩 Red flag? If you’re missing too many of these, it might be time to reassess if your workplace is right for you. Which of these green flags matters most to you? Let me know below! ♻ Repost to help create compassionate workplaces. 🔔 Follow me, Bhavna Toor (She/Her), for more on leading consciously.