Companies mistakenly bundle management with authority, forcing top performers onto a management track to gain influence. Separate them. Define management's role as coordination and context-sharing, allowing senior individual contributors to drive decisions without managing people.

When trying to influence external partners, start with those most eager to collaborate. This 'coalition of the willing' builds momentum, helps set standards, and creates social pressure for larger, slower-moving players to join the initiative.

Instead of creating a broadly appealing culture, build one that is intensely attractive to a tiny, specific niche (e.g., "we wear suits and use Windows"). This polarization repels most people but creates an incredibly strong, cohesive team from the few who are deeply drawn to it.

M&A Science positions itself as an "equalizer" in an industry where expertise is traditionally locked behind expensive programs and elite networks. By focusing on practitioners who "backdoored their way into M&A," they build a loyal community by serving an ambitious, underserved audience.

Greylock measures partner contribution by whether they were "causally impactful" to a successful investment, rather than just who sourced it. This model incentivizes deep collaboration, such as building a prepared mind, helping win a deal, or adding critical value post-investment.

Chief's CEO reframes the community's application process not as a means of exclusion, but as a way to be "intentional." This positioning ensures a baseline of shared leadership experience for valuable peer conversations, avoiding the negative connotations of elitism while maintaining quality.

At Menlo, peer-driven promotion decisions hinge on a crucial question: "Does the rest of the team perform better when you are part of that project?" This evaluates an individual's value based on their ability to elevate others, prioritizing team amplification over solitary excellence.

Leaders who use public platforms to specifically name and praise behind-the-scenes contributors build a stronger, more motivated team. This public acknowledgment demonstrates that all roles are integral and valued, fostering a culture where people feel seen and are motivated to contribute at a high level.

Counteract the tendency for the highest-paid person's opinion (HIPPO) to dominate decisions. Position all stakeholder ideas, regardless of seniority, as valid hypotheses to be tested. This makes objective data, not job titles, the ultimate arbiter for website changes, fostering a more effective culture.