This week I finally had the opportunity to sit down with the April 1 issue of Fortune Magazine to read an excerpt from Dan Lyons’ new book entitled Disrupted, My Misadventure in the Start-Up Bubble.

Lyon’s portrayal of his time employed at marketing automation software company Hubspot is wonderfully entertaining. He takes the reader through the stereotypical approaches put in play by a company intent on creating a worker base of conformists.
For me, it’s also a reminder of why the criteria used by the business press to bestow “Best Places to Work” recognition are so flawed. Hubspot flaunts a number of such awards, including the Boston Business Journal’s number one ranking.
Here are a couple of quotes from the excerpt published by Fortune:
“The offices bear a striking resemblance to the Montessori preschool that my kids attended: lots of bright basic colors, plenty of toys, and a nap room with a hammock and soothing palm tree murals on the wall.”
“Training takes place in a tiny room, where for two weeks I sit shoulder to shoulder with 20 other new recruits, listening to pep talks that start to sound like the brainwashing you get when you join a cult.”
“The code (Hubspot’s culture) depicts a corporate utopia where the needs of the individual become secondary to the needs of the group…and where people don’t worry about work-life balance because their work is their life.”
“Hubspotters talk about being ‘superstars with superpowers’ whose mission is to ‘inspire people’ and ‘be leaders.’ They talk about engaging in ‘delightion.’”
Strategic Communications Group (Strategic) has a number of clients that have implemented Hubspot’s software for inbound marketing. Our Web2Sales campaigns intersect with Hubspot, and we’ve found the platform to be feature rich, easy to work with and effective.
However, the company’s culture is the antithesis to what we believe at Strategic. Here are the core tenets we subscribe to:
- Work-life balance is paramount. I recognize that Strategic’s culture starts with me as the founder and CEO. I am passionate about what I do professionally, yet it doesn’t define me. I am family oriented, coach youth sports and perform stand-up comedy as a hobby. This is the whole package. It is what completes me.
- The best work results from differing creative views. Our team is comprised of public relations professionals, brand marketers, academics, writers and corporate communicators. We encourage and celebrate unique opinions, rather than fostering an echo chamber.
- Professional excellence and inspiration is found within. I don’t micro-manage. There are no inspirational quotes. You have to want to do great work for a client because it’s important to you and your career.