I spend $3,000/week buying lunch for my team. When people hear this, they always ask: ?? "Aren’t you just burning money?" ?? "What's the ROI on that?" Here's what I tell them: Firstly, I genuinely LOVE spending time with my team. And because we're profitable, I can make the decision to invest in it every week. But crucially... I actually DO think there’s a huge ROI to this. During lunch: → We talk about life. → We talk a little about work. → We laugh until our sides hurt. Many might consider this "unproductive". But it's one of the most productive parts of my week. Because the amount of connection, collaboration and good energy felt between the team OUTSIDE of work, builds so much cultural cohesion INSIDE work... That our team operates at 10x the effectiveness of companies twice our size. We've grown to $30M+ ARR with just 30 people. Because: ? When your team feels genuinely valued... ? When they know you actually give a sh*t... ? When they trust each other deeply... They don't just "get the job done". They're pumped to absolutely CRUSH IT. And lunch pays for itself! The best investment you can make isn't in tools or systems.? It's in the people who make everything possible. Agree? What do you do to show your team they're valued?
These are the kind of informal interactions Guillaume Moubeche said every founder should do. It's where great ideas come from.
That’s not just lunch but a space where titles blur, laughter leads, and the human side of work takes the front seat. That kind of culture doesn’t show up in spreadsheets but it shows up in retention, energy, and how people talk about your company when you are not in the room. Brilliant.
This is awesome, building team culture is super important!
After all, it's the investment in your team's well-being - and improved well-being always makes a positive impact on one's productivity and creativity... Not even speaking about the long-term effect.
What an inspiration! Saved this ??
I used to think investing in people meant training but it also means creating space to laugh and connect. That's how our small team stayed motivated during hard times
Having a fun team is worth so so much
Relatedness is everything, I’ve learned so much about the people I work with, through these moments of having lunch together. The bonding is essential ?? Great leaders understand this ?? John Hu
Venture Capitalist | Founder | Ex-Silicon Valley Lobbyist | #1 Bestselling Author | Keynote Speaker | Rolling Stone Contributor
1 周Y'all gonna need a CPO soon! ;)