The Soul of Startups

The Soul of Startups

by Sophie Theen
Released August 2022
Publisher(s): Wiley
ISBN: 9781119885597

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Book description

Discover how a founder’s personality can impact the culture of a startup

In The Soul of Startups: The Untold Stories of How Founders Affect Culture, award-winning HR and diversity and inclusion professional Sophie Theen delivers an insightful and eye-opening discussion of the importance of culture in the vibrant and, sometimes, chaotic world of startup enterprise. In the book, you’ll hear from a people management expert who has sat alongside those who launch exciting new ventures.

The author describes company founders who lacked the emotional maturity and intelligence to start an organization on which an entire team would rely for their wellbeing, as well as those who excelled at creating environments that allowed their team members to thrive, personally and professionally. You’ll also find:

  • Unvarnished truths from people who have lived through the ups and downs of the startup experience
  • Celebrations of the people who have worked for—and with—the celebrity CEOs to help them realize their vision
  • Illuminating stories of the journeys of startup operators, including the good, the bad, and the ugly

A can’t-miss resource for company founders, entrepreneurs, managers, executives, and startup professionals, The Soul of Startups also belongs in the libraries of human resources and people management professionals seeking unique insights into how the personalities of startup founders shape the structures, processes, and realities of working in a fast-growing company.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Foreword
  6. Preface
  7. Introduction
    1. A BIT ABOUT ME
    2. MY JOURNEY
    3. FINALLY GETTING STARTED
  8. CHAPTER 1: The Gen Z Leader
    1. THE FOUNDER CULTURE
    2. THE GEN Z PARADIGM
    3. THE AFTERMATH
    4. COLLATERAL DAMAGE
    5. WHAT WAS NEXT?
    6. NOTE
  9. CHAPTER 2: The Type A
    1. IT BEGINS
    2. MONTH 2—THE PRINCIPLES BECAME DEMANDS, A MEASURE OF YOUR PERFORMANCE
    3. MONTHS WENT BY
    4. GOODBYES
    5. THE AFTERMATH
    6. PRESENT
    7. NOTE
  10. CHAPTER 3: The Talent Acquirer
    1. WHAT IS PERFECT?
    2. RISE, COMPANY ONE
    3. CRITEO, COMPANY TWO
    4. FIN, COMPANY THREE
    5. NOTES
  11. CHAPTER 4: The Middle Manager
    1. THE NEWS
    2. PROVING THE SUSPICION
    3. PEOPLE LEAVE COMPANIES, TOO, NOT JUST MANAGERS
    4. SOME, BUT NOT ALL, WOULD HAVE LEFT
    5. STAY ALERT BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE
    6. NOTE
  12. CHAPTER 5: The Unlearner
    1. COMPANY A
    2. COMPANY B
    3. COMPANY C
    4. COMPANY D,E,F… (OR MAYBE MORE)
    5. THE WILLINGNESS TO LEARN FROM EXPERIENCE
    6. PAYDOCK (FinTech)
    7. WHAT IF EXPERIENCED FOUNDERS FORGOT THEY ARE ALSO ON A LEARNING JOURNEY?
  13. CHAPTER 6: The Trailblazer
    1. THE SHINY SIDE OF THE COIN
    2. THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN
    3. LACK OF SAFETY TO FAIL
    4. LACK OF CO‐CREATION OF STRATEGIES
    5. PEOPLE ARE CONSTANTLY TOLD WHAT AND HOW TO DO THEIR JOBS
    6. THERE WAS NO PURPOSE EXCEPT TO “GET IT DONE”
    7. VERY LITTLE APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY WHEN SOMETHING IS NOT DONE OR FAILS
    8. THE CONSTANT CHANGE OF DIRECTIONS CREATED CONFUSION, EVEN FOR THE BEST OF US
    9. NOTES
  14. CHAPTER 7: The Collectivist versus The Individualist
    1. A RELATIONSHIP‐LIKE CULTURE
    2. THEN SOCIETY ARGUES THAT THE OPPOSITE OF COLLECTIVISM IS INDIVIDUALISM
    3. THE MISPERCEPTION OF INDIVIDUALISM IS USUALLY A BAD INGREDIENT FOR STARTUPS
    4. DE‐IDEALIZING COLLECTIVISM
    5. NOTES
  15. CHAPTER 8: The Community Builder
    1. WHAT IS COMMUNITY?
    2. THE ANATOMY OF A COMMUNITY
    3. ONE—A COMMUNITY WITH A MISSION
    4. TWO—A WHOLE COMMUNITY AROUND THE FOUNDER/S
    5. THREE—A TRAGICALLY MISALIGNED COMMUNITY
    6. HOLD ON, WHAT IF THERE WAS A FOUNDER WHO DIDN'T DO WHAT HE PREACHED?
    7. FOUR—A COMMUNITY THAT EXTENDS A CONVERSATION
    8. STARTUPS RELY ON THEIR COMMUNITIES FOR SUCCESS
    9. NOTES
  16. CHAPTER 9: The Keen Learner
    1. WHO IS A KEEN LEARNER?
    2. WILLINGNESS TO LEARN
    3. WILLINGNESS TO TAKE FEEDBACK AND SUPPORT IN RETURN
    4. WILLINGNESS TO BE VULNERABLE TO FORGE TRUSTS
    5. THE WILLINGNESS TO LEARN FROM OTHERS
    6. THE UNWILLINGNESS BECAUSE OF EGO
    7. SO KEEN LEARNERS, ARE THEY FOUNDERS, OR ARE THEY LEADERS?
    8. NOTE
  17. CHAPTER 10: The Black Diamond
    1. CULTURE NEEDS TO START FROM THE BEGINNING
    2. BUILDING COMPLEMENTARY TEAMS ALL THROUGH THIS JOURNEY
    3. THE ROLE OF THE PEOPLE LEADER
    4. SETTING THE RIGHT TONE FROM THE START
    5. SO, CAN CULTURE BE A CULT?
    6. DIFFERENT PEOPLE ARE NEEDED AT DIFFERENT PHASES OF GROWTH
    7. WILLINGNESS TO BE ONE TRUE SELF
    8. THE ABILITY TO SEEK OUT HELP IN STAYING MENTALLY HEALTHY
  18. Closing Reflections
    1. SAMPLE QUESTIONNAIRE
    2. FINAL NOTE:
  19. Acknowledgments
  20. About the Author
  21. Index
  22. End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: The Soul of Startups
  • Author(s): Sophie Theen
  • Release date: August 2022
  • Publisher(s): Wiley
  • ISBN: 9781119885597