Are you making sure not to develop a "bro culture"?

As a startup / scaleup, are you making sure not to develop a "bro culture"??

The so-called "bro culture" often develops unnoticed in a startup and shows its negative effects when scaling up. It's risky, very risky for the future. But there's software there to help you prevent it from happening.

First things first: What is a "bro culture"?

While originally designating a subculture of young people (originally young men, hence "brother culture") who spend time partying with others like themselves, it has changed its meaning in the Tech startup world.?

There the term describes a company culture that develops because the founders are only male, wealthy, white, and straight. The combination of these characteristics in a founder team has direct consequences on the culture and the future success of the company. Why??

Because the concentrated power of privileges in that team often leads to ignorance of realities and disadvantages of underrepresented groups, e.g. those with less privileges. The founder team just doesn't see it because they're not in it. And here it becomes tricky when the startup grows: Such ignorance among the founders does have a direct influence on the culture building in the startup because early employees replicate the behavior of founders. They too will not be sensitive enough to others' realities. Needs of underrepresented groups in that startup, be it their customers, partners or employees, will just be shrugged away.

This sort of "scaling of bro culture" is particularly severe if two facts happen in the early days:?

1. The founder team represents itself as tough and progressive. The "go-getter" and "risk-taker" mentality is rewarded above all. Founders and early employees hype each other up to value short term profit making over sustainable and balanced growth.
2. The first few employees are and look alike the founders. Due to the "just-like-me" bias we know that founders fall into that trap and recruit first employees who are just like them. Naturally, the bro culture is now enhanced.?

What are the effects of such a scaled bro culture?

1. The company is incapable of recruiting and retaining employees with diverse backgrounds, because their work is undervalued and they are not involved into decision making. This is particularly unforgiving in an already dried out labour market.
2. Being too homogenous, ideas, experiences and opinions of underrepresented groups are not taken into account. The company does not see risks that can endanger their existence.
3. Customers decide against buying products from such a company as they see that inclusion is not valued.?Generation Z watches brands very closely on their inclusion policies.
4. Finally, if going unchecked for too long, there is a high risk of developing a toxic culture where underrepresented groups objectified. Sexism, racism, and other expressions of discrimination like physical or psychological harassment are normalized.?

Software to help you

A bro culture develops quite unnoticed, until it is - in many cases - too late. That's why you have to prevent it before it happens. To make sure you don't fall into the trap, you can use the following software. They help you to measure your culture and act before it's too late:?

1. Witty - https://witty.works - Measure communication and inclusion among all employees and enable them to write and behave inclusively, without bias.

2. Calvah - https://calvah.com/ - Plan and run meetings in an inclusive way, to reduce unconscious biases and to improve meeting productivity.

3. Equal Time - https://www.equaltime.io/ - Improve inclusion in Zoom and Google Meet. Track speaking time, monologues, interruptions.

4. Metta space - https://metta-space.com/ - Prevent, and if it happens report & resolve workplace misconduct.

And naturally, if you are already two male founding members, you should make sure that your third person - be it a co-founder or a first employee - is female.?

Inclusion - the founder's responsibility

To build an inclusive culture is the founder/s' responsibility. It can't be put onto anyone else's shoulders. Making sure to prevent a bro culture in the early days will save you lots of costs and worries later on in your journey. Thus, it's worth investing into inclusive culture.

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Sources:?

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bro_culture
• Book "Brotopia: Breaking Up the Boys' Club of Silicon Valley", 2018, Emily Chang