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As a partner and head of talent, Matt coaches our founders on hiring the best talent and building healthy and high-performing cultures. He leads several of our future of work investments. Matt previously built and led the People functions at DigitalOcean and Return Path (#1 Best Place to Work in NYC and #2 in the US, respectively).

Matt Hoffman

Partner

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Tania is the co-CEO of LifeLabs Learning. She is also a psychology researcher, leadership trainer, and co-author of the book, “The Leader Lab: Core Skills to Become a Great Manager Faster.”

Tania Luna

In a world where technology is increasingly commoditized—and multiple teams and companies have similar products—what sets great companies apart? Based on our experience at M13 and [LifeLabs Learning](http://lifelabslearning.com) helping over 1,000 innovative companies scale, we’ve seen that it’s the speed and quality of execution that counts. 
What makes great execution possible? A healthy culture of learning, belonging, and high performance. The right culture will help attract, retain, engage, and empower talented employees, and give them a clear framework to do their best work. 
In this guide, we’ll discuss what makes the best cultures _(hint: it’s not the same thing for everyone)_ and how founders and leaders should build and scale their cultures from the start. 
###### What is a “good” culture? 
Let’s begin with a tale of two cultures. Imagine you take a look at the offices of two different companies, side by side (in a pre- or post-COVID world). In one, employees sit in solitary cubicles, wearing suits and ties, and never taking a lunch break. In the other, hoodie-clad employees huddle in clusters across an open-floor plan, some brainstorming together in beanbags, some pair-programming, and some playing a passionate round of Ping-Pong. Which is the “better” culture? 
Of course, it’s a trick question. Despite what many of us in the high-growth tech ecosystem have come to believe, there is no such thing as an objectively “good” or “bad” culture. There is only a culture that is a good (or bad) _fit_ for your goals, the type of company you want to build, and the people you want to be a part of it. **Your culture needs to support the business and personal objectives you want to achieve.** 
For example, a culture of slow, methodical perfectionism might crush a tech startup but be essential in a children’s hospital. A culture of playfulness might be the secret to innovation at an advertising agency but threaten the safety of a nuclear power plant. A spirit of competition may drive success at a hedge fund but destroy a nonprofit. 
In this first guide of Human Capital: The Essential Guide to Scaling People Systems, we’ll give you a step-by-step overview of how to decide what the right culture is for your organization, how to turn it into a reality—and keep it that way. 
We’ll cover: 
<NumberedBullet number="1" highlight="Exploring company culture " />
<NumberedBullet number="2" highlight="Designing your mission" />
<NumberedBullet number="3" highlight="Creating your vision" />
<NumberedBullet number="4" highlight="Defining your values" />
<NumberedBullet number="5" highlight="Bringing your culture to life" />
<NumberedBullet number="6" highlight="Keeping your culture alive" />
<NumberedBullet number="7" highlight="Takeaways & next steps" />

Explore how to establish or refine the three pillars of your company culture: mission, vision, and values.

A rocket launches next to M13 and LifeLabs Learning's joint logo while to the right there are two hands holding a spark that reads: Culture & Values.

Vision, Culture & Values hdr2 copy v2

How to Scale Your Startup Culture and Values

Exploring company culture 

Get actionable tips and team exercises from M13 and LifeLabs Learning on scaling your startup’s company culture: mission, vision, and values.

How to Scale Your Culture and Values | M13

Designing your mission 

Creating your vision

Defining your values

Bringing your culture to life

Keeping your culture alive 

Takeaways & next steps

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Once you’re clear on your mission, identify _where_ that mission will lead you and (ideally, though not necessarily) when you aim to get there. 
![table 1 v1 missionvisionvalue bcommos](//images.ctfassets.net/vcjxvx0h1a5n/2KgPHu7a5AwF0K2x38sDOs/9ac1a2ea073ee9b2051b8b49dc923ec1/table_1_v1_missionvisionvalue_bcommos.png) 
Your vision can change with time. That’s okay and better than having a lot of people wandering around in the dark wondering if they’re on the right path. It’s normal for businesses to change focus as the world changes. As far as the “when” goes, this depends on your company, of course, but a distance of five years tends to be a good starting point in terms of planning. 
For inspiration, check out these examples of compelling vision statements: 
**Alzheimer's Association:** A world without Alzheimer's disease 
**Microsoft (original):** A computer on every desk and in every home 
**Nike (older version):** Crush Adidas 
**Impossible Foods:** Completely replace the use of animals as a food technology by 2035 
**McDonald’s:** To be the best quick service restaurant experience. Being the best means providing outstanding quality, service, cleanliness, and value, so that we make every customer in every restaurant smile. 
**ASPCA:** That the United States is a humane community in which all animals are treated with respect and kindness 
**Southwest Airlines:** To become the world’s most loved, most flown, and most profitable airline 
## What makes a compelling vision statement?
<TextCard text="Your vision should be specific enough to help you focus your resources, develop a strategy, and measure success. At any given point, it should be clear whether or not you’ve achieved your vision. And it should be broad enough to give you space to experiment along the way." topic="Talent & Leadership" /> 
Here are some vision-setting questions for you and your founding team to answer: 
 <DotBullet text="Five years from now, what’s something you’d be deeply proud to achieve?" />
 <DotBullet text="How about 20 years from now?" />
 <DotBullet text="Imagine someone giving your personal eulogy. They talk about the amazing impact our company has had on the world. What do they say?" />
 <DotBullet text="What results will we have to achieve in order to feel like we’ve made a meaningful difference?" />
 <DotBullet text="Let’s say we are fully pursuing our mission every day for five years. What will we have to show for it?" /> 
<TemplateLink sysId="how-to-scale-your-startup-culture-and-values" elementType="Guide" text="Template: Hot Pen Vision Technique" type="GDocs" href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TUgGvy4QjYicIhRFTI5yR_6hOKmmQT9AoAHTEQ7Kd1c/edit?usp=sharing"/>

What's inside:

Creating your vision

What makes a compelling vision statement?

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