This week on Build Mode, we’re diving back into the archives for a special best-of episode all about company culture. Host Isabelle Johannesen and producer Maggie Nye revisit some of the most insightful conversations from past seasons to explore how founders intentionally shape culture from day one and why the habits, values, and decisions of leadership have an outsized impact as companies scale.

Guests share lessons on hiring for culture, developing strong leaders, building diverse teams, navigating layoffs with empathy, and creating workplaces where people can do their best work. From early-stage startups to high-growth companies, these founders reveal what they’ve learned about building cultures that last.

In this episode, you’ll hear from:

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Ian Schmidt, partner & consultant at Trimergence ()

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Hala Jawani, cofounder & CEO of Rivio ()

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Ayal Yogev, cofounder & CEO of Anjuna ()

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Leah Solivan, founder of TaskRabbit and founder of Precedent VC ()

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Jasper Carmichael-Jack, cofounder & CEO of Artisan ()

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:22 Ian Schmidt (Trimergence): Why founders should invest in leadership and culture early

03:55 Hala Jawani (Riveo): Hiring leaders who can scale culture

05:22 Eyal Yogev (Anjuna): Why culture is built through a thousand small decisions

08:51 Leah Solivan (TaskRabbit / Precedent VC): Building diverse teams from day one

13:15 Jasper Carmichael-Jack (Artisan): How AI could reshape workplace culture

15:45 Outro

Subscribe to Build Mode on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ () , ⁠Spotify⁠ () , or ⁠wherever you like to listen⁠ () . And watch the full videos on ⁠YouTube⁠ () . New episodes of ⁠Build Mode⁠ () drop every Thursday. Hosted by Isabelle Johannessen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.