For today’s essential Heretics 101 feature, Kelli and Nolan talk to Culture Amp CEO Didier Elzinga, revealing data-driven insights on building culture-first companies, balancing psychological safety with accountability, and prioritizing growth as engagement’s foundation.

Support our Sponsors:

Ethena is the compliance training platform built for modern workplaces. Visit goethena.com/heretics and get 10% off your first year.

Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Check it out: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics

* Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.

* Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can’t live without Metaview.

* It only takes minutes to get up and running.

KEEP UP WITH DIDIER, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDIN

Didier: https://www.linkedin.com/in/didierelzinga/

Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/

Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/

—

LINKS:

Culture Amp: https://www.cultureamp.com/

For coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/

—

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(00:30) From Harry Potter to Building Culture Amp

(02:16) What Is a Culture-First Company?

(03:19) The Coherency Matrix: Trust vs. Mission Orientation

(04:40) Growth: The One Thing That’s Never Changed

(05:36) Leaders Matter More Than Managers (The Data)

(07:09) Don’t Bother Convincing People Who Don’t Get It

(08:02) How Structured Reviews Closed the Gender Gap

(09:17) Sponsor: Ethena | Metaview

(12:39) Data Is Just the Start of Honest Conversations

(13:28) Esther Perel: Leaders Don’t Know How to Say No

(14:16) My Engagement Survey Mistake as CPO

(15:32) Feedback Is Not a Gift, It’s a Workout

(16:23) How We Run Culture Amp: Values and Growth

(18:45) We Can’t Be Everything for Everyone

(20:07) Storytelling: The Most Important Leadership Skill

(22:07) Finding Your Authentic Narrative

(23:32) Wrap

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com