Description

In the early days, culture just exists. The founder’s in the building. Decisions are fast. Everyone knows why the business exists and how things get done. It’s messy, but it works. But then the brand grows. Headcount increases. Layers appear. Process sneaks in. Suddenly, the thing that once felt like an advantage starts to feel fragile. Not broken, just thinner. Harder to rely on.

Today's Playbook pulls together lessons from operators who’ve been through that exact moment and come out the other side. Not by trying to “protect the vibe”, but by treating culture like infrastructure: something that has to be designed, maintained, and occasionally rebuilt.

In today's playbook:

• Why team culture usually breaks during change, not growth
• How to build trust before introducing process and structure
• The role of communication rituals in stabilising teams at scale
• Why measuring trust beats chasing engagement scores
• How calm leadership prevents culture from fracturing under pressure
• Using team culture as a quality control mechanism as you scale

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Explore Culture Kings
Culture Kings’ episode
Birdsnest’s episode
The Body Shop’s episode
Ecosa’s episode

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