Jeff Grass, a serial entrepreneur, explains why it’s important to establish company culture early.

PEOPLE

TAKEAWAYS

Do not underestimate how important it is to set the culture early on versus have it evolve by default
Have clarity around of who you are, why you exist, and how you want to operate
HUNGRY’s 9 Core Values (entrepreneurial, simplicity, people centered, positivity, integrity, gratitude, urgency & determination, quality, efficiency)
Tips on establishing culture in your startup: determine what’s important to the business and to the founders. Core culture should be set by founders and live by them (e.g. reference back whenever appropriate).

01:00 Jeff: Background (born, school)
01:43 Jeff: How he got involved with HUNGRY
02:15 Jeff: The Why, How and What of HUNGRY
03:25 Jeff: What culture in startups means and why it’s important (fabric of company, environment, mindset, glue, etc.)
04:15 Jeff: Lessons learned on why to take culture seriously early on
05:40 Jeff: What I would have done differently in past and have now done at HUNGRY (e.g.9 core values, shared expectations, intentionality)
07:52 Jeff: What HUNGRY’s 9 core values look like in daily operations (e.g. positivity, reinforcement)
11:02 Jeff: Advice on establishing culture in any startup
14:27 Jeff: Handling issues (e.g. example of a conflict)
16:30 Jeff: Personal time and work-life balance management (stay healthy, prioritize aggressively, turn-off work at/after dinner time, delegate)