Strong cultures align the values and behaviors of the team with what the company needs to succeed; it's about intentionality in building that culture.

Culture is about who you are and how you behave; it's essential to be intentional about the culture you create within your team.

Understanding what culture is and why it matters helps in creating core values that foster a high-performance team.

Culture is defined as the implicit set of behaviors within a company that guide employees on how to act, especially when not explicitly instructed.

Culture is about repetition; it's essential to continuously reinforce the values that matter to the company.

Culture is a nebulous concept, but it's crucial for early-stage founders to break it down into manageable action items to foster a positive work environment.

Culture is about making tough choices, like deciding not to hire a highly skilled candidate if they don't fit well with the team.

The core pieces of culture that are most important in building out a company include who you hire and their values, the daily activities and their purpose, what you choose to communicate, and what you celebrate or punish.

For example, Amazon's culture is defined by being cost-effective, while Apple's culture focuses on creating perfect products. Each company must decide which cultural behaviors align with its business strategy.