E-Learning-Inclusivo (Mashup)

Why open source projects and companies matter to your background and future

Via Gonzalo San Gil, PhD.

Explore how the principles behind open source--collaboration, transparency, and rapid prototyping--are proven catalysts for innovation.

Via Gonzalo San Gil, PhD.

Opensource.com spotlights Scott Wilson, the Service Manager for OSS Watch, VP Apache Software Foundation, and maintainer for HtmlCleaner.

Via Gonzalo San Gil, PhD.

Recent research by Shikhart Ghosh, senior lecturer at Harvard Business School has found that 3 out of 4 venture backed startups fail. I am sure we all agree there must be something we can do to change this alarming failure rate! We are not claiming that doing a Culture Due Diligence is the Holy Grail; However, we are sure that it would help investors make better investment decisions by letting them assess whether a founding team, startup, or established company has a Minimum Viable Culture to deliver the company’s intended value proposition.

The Parnassus Workplace Fund, is an example of how investing in Culture brings exceptional returns. This fund invests in companies in the “Best Places to Work” lists or in companies that meet similar criteria. The Parnassus Workplace Fund ranks highest in shareholder return compared to 1,303 other peer funds. (Read more here)

Another recent study published by the Journal of Private Equity, states that one of the key strategies for venture capitalist’s to increase the odds of startup success is by focusing on team building in their portfolio companies. But to turn a team into a kill it takes more than just team building, it takes Culture Building to truly build an asset.

Why is Culture such a critical asset for companies today?

It’s a critical asset because companies such as Zappos and many other culture driven high-performing companies have raised the bar and set a new Culture Standard. Up and coming companies cannot expect to succeed without meeting this new standard.

Investing in Culture is also a numbers game. It results in:

33% more benefits (Gallup)

43% more productivity (Hay Group)

37% more sales (Shawn Achor)

300% more innovation (HBR)

-51% turn over (Gallup)

-66% sick leaves (Forbes)

- 125% lack of motivation (HBR)

Then, how can investors improve their due diligence process?

Investors could conduct a Culture Due Diligence by using our Culture Canvas along with a set of proven methodologies designed to fill in the canvas and make assessments that investors could use to improve their investment decisions.

What is the Culture Canvas?

When we created the Culture Canvas, we were inspired by the Business Model Canvas developed by Alexander Osterwalder, which has become a standard for business model design. The Business Model Canvas is widely used in many entrepreneurship programs in universities such as UC Berkeley, Stanford, and Columbia, among others… The Culture Canvas complements the Business Model Canvas to facilitate the assessment of this critical company asset in more detail.

What are the benefits of doing Culture Due Diligence?

After completing a Culture Due Diligence, you will be able to determine whether the company features:

1. A Minimum Viable Culture strong enough to face key challenges

2. A Product-Culture Fit that aligns culture with the company’s value proposition

This information will allow better investment decisions resulting in less failed investments!