A presentation at Cologne Scaleup Meetup in in Cologne, Germany by Jutta Horstmann
Scaling culture How to nurture a coherent company culture amidst change and growth Scaleup Meetup KΓΆln, 16.05.2024 | Jutta Horstmann | CEO, Mailvelope / ex-COO, eyeo
Case Study
eyeo⦠Who?
FROM: 2 to 14 products 16m to 250m users 6 to 300 people 3 to 35 nationalities 0 to 10 lawsuits 1 to 700 partners
The startup needs to scale
Growth vs Scaling Output Output Input Input
Aspects of scaling π° π° Business π»π² πͺπͺ π± Product Organization Culture
Scaling culture
How to scale a culture to 250+ people? π π£ π€ π€ Provide clarity Tell stories Embrace diversity Break down silos
Evolution of culture - from implicit to explicit Implicit βͺ Developer-first βͺ Remote first βͺ Open Source βͺ Libertarian βͺ Full transparency βͺ Work family A bit explicit βͺ Core Values Very explicit βͺ βͺ Communication guidelines Leadership principles Evolving βͺ Culture Council βͺ Core Values update βͺ Mission & Vision statements
Scaling culture is all about balance
Balance Optimizing for publisher revenue Short-term success Optimizing for user experience Long-term sustainability Remote Co-located Professionalization & standardization Creativity & innovation High Performance Sustainable pace Control Empowerment Rapid change Iterative and participatory approach
βScaling peopleβ?
Helping people to grow with the company π π πΏ The Old Guard Resilience 10% of staff hired 2011-15 Finding and keeping talent Change is here to stay 33% of staff hired 2016-18 World-wide hiring Anti-fragility 57% of staff hired 2019-21 Flat hierarchy Trust Talent development Empowerment & Enablement Appreciation
βIn the past we were pirates, now we are the Royal Navy.β
Addressing identity crisis π π¦ π Empathy Clarity Leadership Explain. Listen. Repeat. Vision & Mission Commitment βWhatβs in it for me?β Strategy Multiplicators Values Leading by example Behavior
Scaling yourself β Let go β Step out β Empower β Relax
How to keep disrupting? Beware of the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse: β Complacency β Bureaucracy β Mistrust β Timidity
Takeaways
Thank you! Jutta Horstmann Mailvelope GmbH CEO, Mailvelope GmbH https://www.mailvelope.com jutta@mailvelope.com @mailvelope (X, Mastodon) https://www.linkedin.com/in/jhorstmann/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/mailvelope/ @smphr (Mastodon) PGP: 89D1 69A3 ECAD CA3D A4E6 F3A7 DFA4 EE0F 9113 4859