Zoom built its "deliver happiness" culture with small, thoughtful perks like reimbursing any book an employee buys. While the financial cost is minimal (e.g., ~$1000/year for an avid reader), the perceived value of the company investing in an employee's personal growth is far greater than a cash bonus.
Related Insights
Unable to afford company t-shirts, the early Astronomer team would research a customer's college major and gift them a relevant used book. This hyper-personalized, low-cost action demonstrated genuine care and attention to detail, building a stronger brand connection than generic merchandise ever could.
Go beyond transactional perks. Unexpected, tangible gifts—like a pumpkin delivered in the fall—create a powerful emotional connection. This "surprise and delight" strategy fosters extreme loyalty and word-of-mouth marketing that a standard service call, no matter how perfect, cannot replicate.
Culture is a strategic tool, not just a set of values. It must be designed to reinforce your specific competitive moat. Amazon’s frugal culture supports its low-price leadership, while Apple's design-obsessed culture supports its premium brand.
Effective company culture isn't about corporate perks but about founders who genuinely invest in their employees as individuals. Taking the time to build personal relationships, such as meeting families, fosters a deeper, non-transactional connection that directly improves employee retention.
Consistently investing in your team on a personal level builds a reservoir of trust and goodwill called "emotional equity." This makes them more receptive to difficult changes like price increases or new strategies, as they believe you have their best interests at heart.
The speaker justifies expensive team offsites (nice hotels, nice dinners) as an investment in brand culture. He believes how you treat your team directly "trickles down" to the brand's external perception and ultimately how customers are treated, making it a valuable brand-building exercise, not just a perk.
Beyond salary, many founders use the business to cover personal expenses, effectively increasing their compensation. Founders reported expensing 50% of their rent, Wi-Fi, and gym memberships, while others leverage business credit card points for thousands in monthly cash back—value not reflected on pay stubs.
To ensure brand consistency at scale, Way created internal "culture codes" on which employees are bonused. Codes like "we keep it real in a way that feels kind" directly reflect the brand's candid public persona. This operationalizes culture and turns every employee into an authentic brand ambassador.
To prevent values from being just words on a wall, create a running list of specific, concrete anecdotes where employees demonstrated a value in action. This makes the culture tangible, tracks adoption, highlights who is truly living the values, and provides a clear model for others to follow.
Companies, especially in tech, often confuse superficial perks with genuine culture. Real company culture isn't about coffee bars or paid time off; it's about leadership actively listening to employees and fostering an environment of trust where internal promises are consistently kept.
