In this episode: What is company culture, really? Jon Peyton boils it down to a shared belief that people rally around. Using Apple and Simon Sinek’s Start With Why, he explains how to build a culture that employees and customers both believe in, how remote work changes the challenge, and why hiring or serving the wrong people can erode it.
Key insights
- Culture is a belief that people follow. If your team believes in why you exist, they’ll invest more of themselves in the work.
- Apple built a culture of being different, and it attracts customers who see themselves the same way.
- People don’t buy what you do or how you do it. They buy why you do it.
- Remote work offers flexibility but puts people on “islands.” Culture has to reach them deliberately.
- Every hire and every client who doesn’t share your values can dilute the culture, and it’s hard to rebuild once it’s gone.
Episode timeline
- 0:00 Building a culture that rallies everyone
- 1:26 Culture comes down to a belief
- 2:01 Culture can be a force for good or harm
- 4:19 Belief and following
- 5:30 Apple’s culture of difference
- 8:45 Who Apple is and isn’t designed for
- 10:20 Start With Why and the Golden Circle
- 11:23 Why Jon’s firms run on Apple
- 14:57 “Investing Different Requires Thinking Different”
- 16:19 Culture starts with the why
- 17:29 Remote work and the people on “islands”
- 18:59 Going remote before the pandemic
- 20:57 What a successful culture looks like
- 22:37 How the wrong people dilute it
The episode in brief
Culture is a belief. For years, Jon took the word “culture” for granted. Then he heard someone describe it simply as a belief that people follow. History offers examples of cultures built on beliefs that lifted people up and others built on beliefs that did great harm. Either way, the pattern is the same: a belief, and a following around it.
What do your people rally behind? Apply that to your business. What belief makes your team willing to work long hours and push through stress to deliver for your customers? Do your customers share it?
Apple built a culture of difference. Apple’s old slogan, “Think different,” spoke to people who saw themselves as different and wanted tools that reflected that. Each new product reinforced the belief, and the community grew. Apple is comfortable that some people dislike its products or its prices. It knows who it’s for.
Start with why. Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle shaped how Jon builds culture in his companies. Customers don’t buy what you do or how you do it; they buy why you do it. Jon’s firms use Apple products, chosen first for security and then valued for collaboration and the way devices work together. That choice reflects a belief in doing things differently, captured in one of his companies’ slogans: “Investing Different Requires Thinking Different™.”
Remote work raises the stakes. Jon’s companies moved to remote work in July 2019, months before the pandemic. Flexibility matters to people, and many roles don’t need an office. But remote workers can become islands, with less connection, less informal training and sometimes a slower path to promotion. They need to know that up front, and leaders need systems to keep culture reaching them.
What a strong culture looks like. People inside and outside the company champion it, not for personal gain but because they believe in it. That might come from flexibility, generous time off or simply great colleagues. As you adapt to the times, don’t sacrifice the culture you built.
Protect it. Every person who joins without sharing your values, and every client who doesn’t fit them, chips away at the culture. Once people believe you no longer stand for what you once did, they lose interest.
Key action items
- Write your why. In a few sentences, explain why the company exists and what it believes, then test whether your team would say the same.
- Hire for the belief. Add a question to your interview process that tests whether a candidate shares your core values.
- Check your client fit. Identify any client relationships that clash with your culture, and how they affect your team.
- Reach your remote people. Set a regular rhythm of connection, training and recognition for anyone working remotely.
Listen next: Episode 18: Standard Operating Procedures: The Backbone of Your Organization
This episode is educational and isn’t legal, tax or financial advice. Speak with your own attorney and advisers about your situation.