#4 - Culture Is Everything (7/27/25)
"Culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people." — Mahatma Gandhi, Indian leader
Revisiting the Prior Questions for Reflection
In my last journal entry I posed the following questions:
- If we are to accept that persuasion is a fundamental part of leadership, how does one go about persuading others to follow them?
- Assuming someone is successful in persuading others to follow them down their chosen path, how does one go about ensuring they stay the course?
In this entry I'll discuss what I believe to be a crucial aspect of any organization that In many ways contributes to their answers, culture. In my eyes culture is this magical element at the heart of every organization. It can draw the ideal people to your cause like a moth to a flame, and similarly It can repel those who may be brilliant and yet not quite a fit for the organization you intend to build. In this journal entry I'll make it crystal clear the sort of culture I intend to build for my company. All in the hopes that my ideal fits can one day discover that this is the sort of place they'd want to work. Additionally, and equally important so those who wouldn't fit can know it.
Our Culture
The culture I intend to instill in my company can best be described by its core principles:
Core Principles
- Care: This might seem obvious, but people start and join companies for all sorts of reasons. Some just want money, others prestige, some to prove to themselves and others that they can, some do it for all three. While I generally think this is fine for most companies we aren't one of them. We must care, this applies to our team, investors, and customers, but most importantly to our mission. Without a genuine care for the mission we'll never be accomplish it. The road won't be easy nor quick and it's the fact that we actually care that will take us the whole way.
- One Mission: Every decision we make is in service of our mission to preserve humanity. We operate with singular focus and purpose, never losing sight of our ultimate goal. We don't create technology for technology's sake. We don't chase trends or hype cycles. We exist solely to solve one of humanity's most important problems: keeping people safe in dangerous environments. This laser focus guides our strategy, our hiring, our product development, and our company culture.
- Human-First: We build technology that enhances humanity rather than replacing it. Our approach puts humans at the center, using autonomy to serve rather than supplant. We fundamentally believe that human judgment, creativity, and adaptability remain irreplaceable. Our technology is designed to eliminate risk and danger while preserving the human elements that matter: decision-making, oversight, and purpose. We don't want to displace people we'll elevate them.
- True Meritocracy: We don't put limits on where our employees can go. Our culture is one that a day one employee can have their opinions heard and impact the organization. If you showcase exceptional talent you could start at our company on a Monday and be promoted the same week. Younger or older, of one background or another we truly only care about results. Those who get results will be rewarded accordingly. We'll actively encourage our employees to reach as high as they desire.
- Fearless Execution: We aren't afraid to tackle hard problems and run toward them fearlessly. Just like the people we hope to support we understand when a job needs to done. However despite our pursuit of audacious goals we staying grounded in evidence and practicality. Our vision extends decades into the future, but we execute through concrete, near-term milestones We use data to validate assumptions and measure progress. We're not afraid to pivot when evidence suggests a better path. We balance bold thinking with pragmatic implementation, and If there's a wall in front of us, we smash through it.
- Open Collaboration: We're building technology too important to work in silos. We practice extreme transparency and collaboration within teams and with partners. Information flows freely across teams and hierarchy levels. We share early and often, prioritizing collective progress over individual credit. The problems we're solving require diverse perspectives and expertise. We actively seek partnerships with industry, academia, and government to accelerate our mission.
How We Ensure Our Culture Survives
Upholding a culture with a few people is a vastly different task than with many. While we are far from the point where this would become a potential issue, I believe it's important to discuss it now before said problems arise. The main way I believe we'll maintain the culture stated above is by how we operate as a business. By ensuring that the way we operate fundamentally supports our core principles, I believe we give the company its best chance at reflecting said principles at any size.
Our Operating Philosophy
- Absolute Accountability: The first key component of our operating philosophy absolute accountability is as it sounds. Each future member of our team from executives to day one employees will be held accountable for their actions. Even as the founder I intend to actively encourage team members to hold me accountable for the decisions I make and their impact on the team, our customers, and the performance of the company as a whole.
- Extreme Ownership: The second key component of our operating philosophy highlights the expectation that everyone takes extreme ownership of their work. We must all take pride in our roles as everyone is contributing to the mission. In doing so it's paramount that team members take the initiative in increasing the quality and velocity of the output they produce. I intend to be generous with employee equity so everyone feels as though they have a stake in the company's future.
- Remote-First: The third key component of our operating philosophy showcases how we plan to work. I believe remote work when architected well can be great for employees and therefore great for companies. I also understand that at times certain events may necessitate in person collaboration. Therefore, I intend to operate the company on a remote-first model local to individual regions. This allows team members to work from home throughout the week while also enabling moments of in person collaboration as needed.
Conclusion
Our culture won't be for everyone, and that is by design. This doesn't mean that we won't inadvertently turn away some extraordinary people. The fact is that two people of equal talent, intellect, and ability can have completely different outcomes depending on their environment. That isn't to say there's anything wrong with the person who couldn't thrive nor the environment itself. People just perform differently depending upon their own individual preferences and how well those suit the environment they are operating in. Nonetheless, as Gandhi said, culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people. Which I believe will naturally make those who'd thrive with us gravitate to this company, and so long as we maintain that culture, it will give us the best chance of retaining them.
Questions for Reflection
- In an industry as volatile as tech, how can one ensure their operating philosophy and therefore culture persists over time?
- In a world where the control of one's company ultimately lies with shareholders and not its team, how can one ensure the team is prioritized?