Company Culture
The shared norms and expectations that shape how a team actually works together. It gets set less by stated values than by which behaviors actually get rewarded or quietly ignored.
Splitting equity fairly is harder than it sounds on paper
An equal equity split feels like the fair, conflict-avoiding choice at the start. It can quietly become a source of resentment once contributions diverge.
Burn rate is a decision, not just a number
Burn rate gets reported as though it were simply observed. In practice, nearly every part of it reflects a choice the team is making, consciously or not.
The advisor who never actually helps
A well-connected advisor with a small equity grant sounds valuable in theory. Many end up contributing far less than the equity they were given assumed.
The invoice nobody remembered to send
Cash flow problems at small companies often trace back to something this mundane: an invoice that simply never got sent on time, or at all.
Hiring the first ten employees changes the company forever
The first ten hires set norms that persist long after those specific people have moved on, whether or not founders are deliberate about shaping them.
Splitting equity fairly is harder than it sounds on paper
An equal equity split feels like the fair, conflict-avoiding choice at the start. It can quietly become a source of resentment once contributions diverge.
Running a startup is mostly operations, not vision
Startup narratives focus on bold vision and big bets. The daily reality of actually running one is dominated by unglamorous operational decisions instead.
