Startup culture - The "Us vs Them" dichotomy
Living my un-lived life, US vs THEM and more.
In my last newsletter, I wrote about my six months of entrepreneurial journey. Thanks to everyone who reached out with your support and love. It's become clear to me that the journey itself is the true reward, regardless of the outcome or destination. During this time, I stumbled upon a quote by Steven Pressfield that deeply resonated with me:
Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the un-lived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance.
Closing the Gap: Living my Un-lived Life
It got me thinking: How can we minimize the divide between the life we live and the un-lived life that resides within us? The choices we make, the paths we take—they often mean leaving countless other possibilities behind.
It's a profound question. Can we bridge the gap between these parallel lives? While it may be impossible to fully explore every alternate path, we can strive to make choices that align with our values, passions, and aspirations. It's about consciously pursuing the things that truly matter to us, so we can live with a sense of fulfilment and purpose. The key lies in self-awareness, introspection, and making choices aligned with our authentic selves. Each decision we make is an opportunity to bridge the gap and bring us closer to living a life that truly resonates with our dreams. Enough philosophy for now, lets move on to the topic of discussion.
US vs THEM
Throughout my career, starting from my days at BITS, I've been captivated by a recurring observation that humans tend to perceive themselves as part of an exclusive in-group, viewing those outside the group as "the other." Few years ago, I discovered that this phenomenon is often referred to as "Us vs Them."
As social beings, we naturally move towards forming groups and identifying with those who share our values, beliefs, and interests. While this mindset can lead to conflict and division, it also plays a pivotal role in shaping our social interactions and our life. This is evident in religion, food choices, language spoken, gender and everything you can think of. But the area which fascinated me was how this behaviour evolves throughout the growth of a company.
Early Stages: Building the Foundation (Team size 1 - 30)
When a small group of individuals come together to work on a shared idea, they often possess a strong sense of connection and unwavering commitment to achieving success. With a united front, they perceive themselves as "Us" and rally against "Them," which may represent the market, competitors, or other challenges. This cohesive culture acts as a powerful catalyst for innovation and growth, allowing the team to overcome any obstacles in their path.
During my initial days at MySmartPrice, I frequently witnessed this phenomenon. Engineers, content creators, and growth teams collaborated seamlessly, combining their talents to create something truly remarkable making the whole process fulfilling and enjoyable.
Growth Stage: Balancing Expansion (Team size 30 - 200)
As a startup expands, thanks to the initial success fostered by a close-knit team, the same principles that once propelled growth can inadvertently become hindrances. Silos begin to form, driven by the way rewards are structured within most companies. Teams become more focused on achieving their individual goals rather than aligning with the overall mission of the company. This often leads to conflicts and inefficiencies that hinder progress and stifle innovation.
To address these symptoms, leadership often introduces tools and processes such as OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) or similar frameworks. However, in my view, these measures can exacerbate the existing challenges if not implemented correctly.
How can we identify this stage? Pay attention to when teams start blaming other teams for their unmet goals, or when complaints about inter-departmental issues come from founders or CXOs instead of the concerned teams themselves.
This stage also marks a turning point when the original team starts sensing a shift in culture and expresses concerns about a slowdown in execution. You may hear stories of how execution used to be amazingly fast, with features being developed from idea to production within a single day or how a coffee table discussion resulted in to a new product development.
Late Stage: Scaling Challenges (Team size > 200)
If a company successfully navigates through the growth stage and continues to transform and expand, new challenges emerge. The Us vs Them mentality becomes even more complex to navigate as numerous teams and departments coexist. Maintaining a sense of cohesion and shared purpose becomes increasingly challenging. Rather than different teams arguing amongst themselves, you may observe teams within the same vertical pointing fingers or dismissing issues as the responsibility of other teams.
This also sheds light on why individuals who excel in one stage of a company's journey may struggle to adapt to other stages. Ownership remains important throughout, but the definition of ownership and its outcomes change as the company evolves, as do the associated rewards.
It's essential to note that the Us vs Them mentality is not inherently good or bad. Instead, it's a natural human trait that can be harnessed in different ways depending on the context. By understanding how this mentality manifests within various organisational contexts, leaders can effectively manage their teams, foster collaboration, and nurture innovation.
As a leader or founder, I believe in working hard to create a culture where "us vs them" doesn't exist internally but always focused to external factors. Taking from Netflix's Reed Hastings, who described startup teams as sports teams not a family. Sports team can succeed only when they work together to win against the other teams with singular vision. This mindset fosters strong bonds, promotes effective communication, and encourages collaboration across teams rather than competition.
Over time, I have experimented with several mechanisms to mitigate this phenomenon and offer the following recommendations:
Transparent Communication: Ensure everyone is well-informed about the company’s or team's vision, goals, and progress. Transparency builds trust and fosters a sense of connection and engagement among all employees.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Encourage teams from different departments to collaborate on projects and initiatives. Breaking down silos and promoting collaboration helps bridge any gaps and strengthens the sense of unity.
Shared Goals and Values: Continuously reinforce the company's core values and align everyone around a common purpose. When all individuals work toward a shared vision, maintaining a cohesive culture becomes more attainable.
Recognition and Appreciation: Celebrate individual and team achievements openly. Recognise the contributions of every employee, irrespective of their position, and cultivate a culture of appreciation and gratitude. The team should feel a genuine sense of gratitude or satisfaction for everyone’s success.
It's crucial to remember that maintaining a strong Us vs Them psychology requires consistent effort and attention. By actively cultivating an inclusive and collaborative culture, you can ensure that your company's values and sense of togetherness remain intact, regardless of its growth trajectory. Remember, If you are managing a smaller team, pick the lesser evil. It is better to have your team fight with other team rather than allowing disharmony within itself.
In conclusion, the Us vs Them mentality is a multifaceted phenomenon with both positive and negative effects depending on the context. In startups, it can serve as a driving force for innovation and growth, while in later stages, it can help establish a sense of identity and shared purpose if managed appropriately. By understanding how this mentality operates and effectively managing it, leaders can empower their teams to thrive and achieve their goals.
AI advancements are happening in amazing speed. Kishan and I are working on few amazing capabilities over various LLMs. Being in the middle of it, I feel how slow our progress has been. Stay tuned for next post about AI, products and how it is going to change our lives for good (?).