Elements of Culture

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Let me simplify all of this. Your value proposition is a starting point. Your vision and mission are what you’re aiming for. Your people and team are the basis on which you execute. And your culture is the underlying enabler. Between where you are and where you’re going, the one word that has to hold steady is consistency, and culture is what provides it.

So as we go through the tangible elements, keep the hierarchy in mind. Vision is the big picture of where you’re taking the business. Mission is that vision put into a more defined, inspiring statement of intent. Culture is how you do business every day, the operating system that empowers your people. And values are the specific beliefs and guiding principles inside that culture. We’ll build each of these from the ground up, and the thing to remember is that everything else in your startup can and should pivot: your product, your business model, your segment. The one thing that should stay consistent is this bedrock.