The Real Startup Killer Isn’t Fundraising - It’s Culture
Startups are bold. Scrappy. Speed-obsessed. But even the wildest rockets need a navigation system—or you’re just burning money and good intentions.
That's where culture (and yes, HR) steps in.
Spoiler: If you think "we'll deal with HR later," you’re already late.
The "We Don't Need HR" Phase
In the beginning, it’s all inside jokes and 2 a.m. Slack emojis. Then...
Hiring explodes (and you need real contracts).
New hires want clarity ("what exactly do I do here?").
Culture drifts (remote teams vs. office cliques—choose your fighter).
Suddenly: you’re HR now. (Sorry not sorry.)
Source: Tenor
Culture Across Europe: It’s Local, Baby 🌍
Think you’re "global"? Cute. HR realities still change country by country:
UK: Polite chaos. Paperwork exists. No one reads it until lawsuits appear.
DACH: "Move fast" doesn't exist. Betriebsrat says hi.
Nordics: Flatter than your espresso. Everyone votes. Consensus wins.
Central Europe: Direct, ambitious, allergic to nonsense.
France: Long lunches, longer legal battles.
Netherlands: Honest to the point of violence (but in a charming way).
Eastern Europe: Pragmatic. Direct. No time for HR guff.
Balkans: High energy, high resilience, high tolerance for “just tell me the truth."
Mediterranean: Culture = conversation (preferably over food).
If you’re managing a pan-European team: localize, or prepare for backlash.
The (Actual) Startup Culture Playbook
Define Your Culture - Fast! If you don't, your loudest voices will. And you might not like their version.
Hire for Culture Add, Not Just Culture Fit You’re not building a cult. You’re building a team. Hire challengers, not clones.
Ritualize Communication
Monthly all-hands.
Async updates.
Anonymous feedback. Yes, even when you're "too busy."
Get Serious About Feedback In Germany? Be direct. In the UK? Decode politely-worded panic. In the Balkans? Brace yourself—it's coming unfiltered. → Feedback isn’t optional. It’s oxygen.
Learning = Retention People don't leave because of free snacks. They leave when they stop growing. → Offer learning stipends. Encourage lateral moves. Build career paths early.
Use AI - But Stay Human Let AI schedule interviews, clean up bias, and organize data. But when it comes to real conversations? That's all you.
Scale Without Going Corporate Audit your culture every 6 months. Ask real questions: "Does this still feel like us?" Adjust. Stay human. → Because once the soul leaves the building, the good people follow.
Bottom Line: Startups that treat culture like a "later" problem usually don’t get a "later."
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