Estefania Hernandez’s Post

Stepping into an existing venture as a late cofounder is a rich, intense experience. Here’s why it’s exciting: * Very early days are behind. Now, it’s all about accelaration and reaching the next level. * You bring a fresh perspective. Immediate, impactful changes are within reach. * There’s still a lot to be figured out. It’s a chance to use a very diverse skill set. But let’s also be real: * Embracing the existing company culture while introducing your own style is a delicate balance. * Addressing legacy issues is cumbersome, but necessary for competitiveness. * Tough decisions are inevitable. It’s not about popularity, but about progress. Thrilled to discuss the topic with great late cofounders (Gabrielle Sergent, Philippe Maso y Guell Rivet) and Hexa (Augustin Celier) on June 18th. Interested in joining the conversation? Sign up via the link in the comments (event in 🇫🇷).

Call me crazy, but I love being in an actual room with a group of humans – especially ones who come with an energy that *feels* warm. I’ve learned to set aside fear, to trust my intuition in these spaces. Because something good, almost magical, happens when I approach anyone who seems open to connection, conversation and learning…. ✨ Like discovering we know (and admire) the same person – and should reconnect with them! ✨ Like sharing similar experiences in our (personal or professional) journeys. ✨ Like realizing we need to connect the other person to someone or something that can help them. It’s why I – finally! – hosted my OWN in-person event for startup founders in hard tech, an Office Hours-style session during #LATechWeek in October. I shared my top pitch tips with about 15 founders, and then we focused on workshopping elevator pitches in the room and cheering on founders as they improved in real time. I love to call out the WINS! 🤩 People snacked on chips, candy and my husband’s super-addictive, homemade masala cashews 😋 A VC from Andreessen Horowitz even outed herself and stayed to chat with everyone! And it all happened at the beautiful BLANKSPACES Coworking in Venice, walking distance from my home. ✅ Speaking ✅ In-person ✅ Small gathering ✅ Human touch ✅ Cooking ✅ Celebrating ✅ City No wonder I was so happy that afternoon 😍 Because I love the human voice, I listen to a variety of podcasts to keep storytellers literally in my ear. I’m a journalist at heart, so I gravitate to thoughtful interviews, especially those where Tonya Mosley, Harry Stebbings or Dan Pashman are leading the conversation. Funny enough, reviewing everything on my THIS or THAT list here makes me realize I plan to do MORE of everything in 2025! I’m grateful for Erin Halper, Champion of Independent Consultants, Aida Solomon, Monique Ly and the entire The Upside community for genuine connections, so much learning, small gatherings and the absolute delight I fel when we do meet one another in person 🤗 ⏩ As we wrap up this year, what are you choosing to do MORE of? :) PS - here’s one of my favorite recipes I tried this year, one that landed perfectly in my sweet spot of bringing Indian flavors to non-Indian cuisines: pesto made from fresh fenugreek (methi for those who know) and mint! https://lnkd.in/eXDNVaZN Pro tip: If you don’t have a go-to Indian grocery store already, find one near you that is well-trafficked (stuff will be fresher) and start trying different fresh herbs like methi, veggies like Indian eggplants, flours like whole-wheat atta, lentils like black dal, spices like chat masala and of course salty and sweet snacks to make eating at home WAY more delicious! 😁

Ever wonder who the real heroes behind every successful venture are? Hint, it's not always who you think... 👀 In the world of high-stakes business, new AIs, and other technological innovations, we often celebrate the milestones and achievements without acknowledging the quiet contributors behind these successes: our relationships. The bond between co-founders, the trust with stakeholders, the camaraderie within teams, and yes, even the support from our loved ones outside workspaces play a pivotal role in shaping our journeys. For instance, my own experience of being honored recently was a moment of reflection on how such milestones are shared achievements with those who've supported us throughout. Let's take a moment to appreciate and give credit to these relationships. After all, behind every successful venture is an intricate web of people believing in each other’s dreams.

I HATE small talk in business settings. I have a better solution, which will actually get you connections: 🚫 Instead of asking the usual, boring: - “how was your day” 😴 - “So what do you do at (Company)?” 🥱 - “What do you think about (X)?” 😑 ✅ Let’s start asking: - “So, do you reckon aliens exist?” 👽😰 - “What are your thoughts on Japanese bullet trains?” 🚅 🧐 - “Boeing or airbus?” ✈️🛩️ Now, aren’t these a lot more interesting? And before you click off and think to yourself: “this is the dumbest post I’ve seen all day,” I tried this at the Icehouse Ventures first cut roadshow, and the Wellington Growth Jam, and it fostered some very interesting conversations. So, stop being boring. Ask someone what their favorite ice cream flavour is, or what brand of ketchup they prefer. 🥂

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Applied to Company Culture Credit to Chris Donnelly for his amazing visuals on startups, scale-ups, AI & his entrepreneurial journey. What do people need in order to create a great company culture? Original post below: ------ Creating a great company culture isn't rocket science. It starts by knowing what your people need. It’s not bean bags, free beer, or a subscription to a meditation app. It is your daily actions and values that define your culture. Here is the ultimate sheet to build an indestructible company culture Applying Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and 9 fundamentals. Think about it in terms of your company: Basic Needs: Do your people have the essentials? Safety: Do they feel secure, trusted, and respected? Belonging: Can everyone be their true selves at work? Esteem: Do you recognise and appreciate their efforts? Self-actualisation: And give them chances to progress? When these needs are met, your company isn't just a place to work… It's a place where people thrive. Because building a great culture doesn't just happen. It takes consistent effort and action. Every day. Now go make it happen. Repost this to share it with your network ♻️ Follow Chris Donnelly and spread this important message Agree? Disagree? Share your thoughts below. ------ Follow Proven Patterns for more inspirational posts like this.

What a Night at Pavilion 🎉✨ 🔥 Key takeaways from an incredible dinner discussion with some of the sharpest minds in the business world: 1️⃣ Startups: Creativity vs. Structure 👉 First-time founders are visionaries, but who’s the voice of reason? 💡 “Is there a role to push back on CEOs while capturing their creativity?” 2️⃣ AI & SEO: Are We Asking the Right Questions? 🤖 “Winning in AI-SEO means focusing on key questions instead of just key words.” 📊 Metrics matter, but dashboards don’t drive innovation. Stay human, stay strategic. 3️⃣ Careers: Job Search & Relationships 🌍 The job market is both scary and amazing. 💼 Look for companies with culture, creativity, and a focus on work-life balance. ✋ And always ask, “What could I have looked for that I didn’t?” 4️⃣ In-Person vs. Remote Work 🤝 “Face-to-face matters more than ever.” 🍴 Grab dinners, schedule meetings, and lean into relationships. Don’t just stick to companies you know—expand your network! 5️⃣ Culture: Build It, Own It, Believe In It 🚀 Culture isn’t just what you do; it’s how you do it. 📌 Create a space where teams believe in their impact and advancement. ⚖️ Balance “creative and cool” with hard work and accountability. 6️⃣ Tactical Wisdom 🛠️ Simplify processes—if you weren’t there, could someone else do your job? ⏳ Block time for strategy. ❓ Ask hard questions every day. Three great questions can spark real change. 💬 A few gems from the evening: • “If you weren’t here, how would we do this?” • “Build processes, not fire drills.” • “Keep learning—embrace what you don’t know.” • “Don’t forget… everyone needs nap time. (Thanks, Keith!)” 💡 Closing thought: In the fast-moving world of startups, RevOps, and scaling teams, relationships, culture, and strategy are the foundations for growth. Stay curious, stay connected, and keep asking the tough questions. 💬 What’s one lesson from your latest dinner or meeting? Share below! 👇

Connecting the Dots… That was our Summer Offsite theme this year. 🤩 At awork, we have many great things going for us, as well as some challenges and opportunities ahead. Realizing what those are, where we want to go, and how we can best utilize our team’s strengths to unlock the next level of growth is what we spent the last week on. We kicked off with a keynote by Tobi that provided a high-level overview of these dots and the strategic direction. We then had Frederik Fleck join us remotely to share his invaluable insights into the startup funding situation from an investor perspective. Bernadette Hamann and Marvin Müller from OMR Reviews made their way up from Hamburg to talk about their perspective on the SaaS market and how companies are purchasing software at the moment. Julia Glöckner and Lucas Bauche shared strategic updates on a more focused customer profile as well as some ideas for what awork could look like in the future. After all these input sessions, it was finally time for the team to connect the dots. We set out and defined the projects we need to work on next quarter to reach the goals we’ve set for ourselves. We put up boards with the big topics we need to work on, then gave the team time to add ideas, questions, and thoughts to every project. In smaller groups, we then evaluated and prioritized all the ideas on the boards, worked on more concrete project plans for the next three months, and presented them to the rest of the team. What really impressed me: 👉 The number and level of questions from the team to our external speakers. 👉 The participation and motivation of every team member throughout those intense days. 👉 How well the agenda worked out, from high-level strategy to concrete projects, with everyone being involved in every step. 👉 How smoothly and hassle-free we managed to pull everything off. Therefore, I wanted to give big kudos to the entire team. 😍 Our offsites are a big part of our culture, and at the same time, they only work out so well because of this awesome culture we’re creating together. Can’t wait for next year! #offsite #team #joyofwork #teamevent

🎩🦄🌈✨ - Once upon a time, a magical unicorn found a rainbow and made all its wishes come true! Aww.. let's get back to work now because we are no unicorns, but we make wishes come true with our high quality work and excellent services... Let’s kick off this week with a splash of creativity and a dose of fun. Instead of the usual new week routine, we’re mixing things up with a little challenge to brighten the day! #opentochallenges #newweek #motivated #outsourcing #employeepoolingresources

Something I heard recently: “Curiosity and the ability to deal with ambiguity are two markers of high performance.” Drew Arthurson, the Sydney Swans COO, said this at a talk I went to about high performance culture at their HQ. For me, working in a startup, this is our daily bread. We're constantly navigating the unknown and it's the curious minds that push us forward. Another key insight was the concept of 'cultural multipliers'—those pivotal team members who don’t just live the company's values, but amplify them across the org. In my experience, these people are invaluable, and often, their influence is what makes or breaks the success of cultural initiatives. My final takeaway was that it is possible to change culture quickly, as long as you clearly communicate the shift, set a distinct point in time, and go all in. It's a bold approach, but one that makes sense, particularly in startups. Clarity and decisiveness create momentum. This talk was a reminder that high performance isn’t just about hitting targets; it’s about fostering a culture that can adapt, evolve, and thrive in the face of change. Thanks to Blackbird for organising the talk. Was also great to kick the footy with Charlie Gearside again!