How to create and nurture a fun, supportive startup culture
Skip the clichés and make your own rules
It was a Thursday afternoon in May.
Our team had just cycled across the Golden Gate Bridge. We started at Fisherman’s Wharf, then cruised through Presidio National Park and across to Vista Point.
Still catching my breath, I got off my bike and gaped at San Francisco and East Bay in the distance. Tourists were snapping selfies, while everyone high-fived for finishing the ride.
I couldn’t stop smiling. Watching my team laugh and gently tease each other was honestly better than stunning view below.
When I started JotForm 13 years ago, it was just me and a plan to create simple web forms. I never imagined we’d grow to employ 140 people on two continents and serve 4.5 million global users.
That’s why our cycling day in San Francisco felt so meaningful. Having fun and enjoying time together is essential to our culture.
I know that “corporate culture” can be a cliché — especially in the hard-driving startup world.
Some companies equip the office with beer and ping-pong tables and call it culture. Other Silicon Valley giants offer over-the-top perks with the caveat that employees will practically live at…
