Do More Faster India, 2nd Edition

Chapter 31Define Your Culture

Greg Gottesman

Greg is a cofounder and managing director of Pioneer Square Labs. He is one of the founding investors in Techstars Seattle and was instrumental in helping Techstars figure out how to expand geographically (Seattle was Techstars third location after Boulder and Boston).

Over the past decade, I have become convinced that the three most important factors in determining the success of a startup are the team, the product or service, and the market (timing and size). Take an A + entrepreneur, with a great idea for a new product or service, at the right time, and about as fast as you can publish a tweet, you’ll have a success brewing.

I recently added another factor to the must-have list: the right startup culture. Add a dose of bad culture to a team of superstars, a killer product, and a good market opportunity, and the result is almost always death by a thousand backstabs.

What defines a great startup culture?

Justice Potter Stewart’s “I know it when I see it” standard seems particularly apt here, but not actionable.¹

I’ve attempted to define the characteristics of a great startup culture. I was aiming for a top 10 but ended up with a baker’s dozen (because in life it’s hard to beat a free bagel).

1. No politics. In great startup cultures, everybody is giving everyone else credit. Ideas are judged on merits, not on who came up with them. People feel comfortable that they will get their due. In not-so-great startup cultures, everyone wants ...