Six habits of startup culture

I also enjoy studying the culture of entrepreneurship, especially startup culture. There are so many ideas about it that hardly anyone in our part of the world talks about. When I read about them, I try to apply them to myself and the people around me.

Here are a few.

1. Pay it forward

You don't have to repay the person who helped you directly. The idea is to become someone who has the resources and influence to help the next person, just as someone once helped you.

And it isn't only about money. It might be an introduction to an investor, a useful connection, a thirty-minute conversation, feedback on a pitch, a piece of advice or help finding a teammate.

2. Give before you get

Give first, then ask. Don't enter a room full of people thinking only about what you can request. Start by thinking about what you can offer.

Build relationships around helping each other, rather than constantly keeping score of favours.

3. Don't die

Stay in the game.

In startups, the number of attempts matters enormously. Another year of a company's life buys another set of chances to make things work.

So stopping to count your money and cut costs doesn't necessarily mean a lack of ambition. It can mean buying time to keep going.

4. Share what you learn

Strong ecosystems are different because knowledge doesn't stay inside one small group of people or companies.

Founders write posts, talk about failures, share templates and introduce people. That is what helps an ecosystem grow: the next founders don't have to repeat every mistake from scratch.

5. Everyone is a mentor

Everyone has something they can teach someone else.

You don't need a billion-dollar exit or twenty years of experience. If you are one step ahead of someone, you can already explain that step.

Made your first hire? Tell someone who is about to make theirs. Raised your first round? Help someone writing to investors. Had a bad experience with a contractor? Explain where things went wrong.

6. Make the intro

If you think two people ought to know each other, introduce them.

This one doesn't need much explanation. Just introduce them and see what happens. :)