Season 9 Episode 20: Culture Lessons from HubSpot

Season 9 Episode 19: 5 Strategies for Successful Culture-Shaping

Creating a thriving corporate culture and strong leadership in teams doesn’t happen by accident. In this episode of The Thermostat Podcast, Jason V. Barger shares five essential strategies for guiding intentional culture change—whether you’re a department head, a C-suite executive, or an emerging team leader. Drawing on his “Six A’s of Leading Change” framework and real-world experience across industries, he outlines how to assess current norms, empower micro-cultures, combat burnout, align leadership communication, and measure progress. Together, these steps form a holistic approach to shaping the organizational environment so it fuels engagement, performance, and long-term growth.

Season 9 Episode 20: Culture Lessons from HubSpot

Building a resilient corporate culture and empowering leadership across teams requires intentional effort. In this episode of The Thermostat Podcast, Jason V. Barger examines HubSpot’s remarkable journey from a fledgling startup to a multi-billion-dollar enterprise and extracts practical culture-shaping lessons along the way. By studying HubSpot’s evolving “Culture Code,” leaders can learn how to clarify values, invite participation, foster autonomy, and measure impact.

Summary

HubSpot’s founders, Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah, launched their inbound marketing and CRM platform in 2006. From $255,000 in revenue that first year to over $2 billion in 2023, their growth demanded more than innovative software—it required a living, breathing culture that could scale with the business. Through more than 25 updates to their internal Culture Code, HubSpot has consistently refined the language and practices that guide how people think, act, and interact.

Jason highlights several principles that underpin HubSpot’s success:

• Clarity through Constant Refinement: A culture code is never finished. Regular updates keep values fresh and relevant.

• Old-World vs. New-World Mindset: Shifting from “work to make a living” to “work to make a difference” signals a deeper purpose that inspires teams.

• Participation Over Prescription: Instead of micromanaging how work gets done, HubSpot charts a course and invites employees to co-create the journey.

• Metrics Tied to Mission: Obsession with both quantitative results and the underlying mission solidifies alignment between performance and purpose.

• Leadership as Influence: By removing hierarchy barriers—no doors, open access, and shared knowledge—everyone becomes an ambassador for the culture.

These strategic choices have enabled HubSpot to attract talent, retain high performers, and maintain agility even at scale.

Key Culture Lessons from HubSpot

1. Refine Your Culture Code as You Grow

HubSpot treats its Culture Code as a living document, updating it more than two dozen times. This ongoing refinement ensures that language continues to guide behavior and remains aligned with evolving goals and challenges.

2. Embrace a “New-World” Vision

Transitioning from “work to make a living” to “work to make a difference” helps employees see their daily tasks as part of a larger mission. Harmonizing work and life, rather than juggling them, fosters a sense of balance and belonging.

3. Empower Micro-Cultures Within a Unified Framework

While core values remain consistent, each department or team is granted autonomy to interpret those values in ways that suit their unique workflows. This balance nurtures both cohesion and creativity.

4. Reward Outcomes Over Hours

HubSpot emphasizes that results matter more than when or where they happen. By focusing on impact rather than presenteeism, leaders cultivate trust and encourage initiative.

5. Break Down Hierarchy to Elevate Influence

A “no-door policy,” shared knowledge, and influence independent of title create an environment where anyone can lead. When all team members feel their voice matters, engagement and innovation soar.

Notable Quotes

“As any company grows, culture evolves—it’s shaped moment by moment by how each person thinks, acts, and interacts.”

“Whether you like it or not, you’re going to have a culture, so why not make it one you love?”

“Power is now gained by sharing knowledge, not hoarding it.”

“Great people want direction on where they’re going, not step-by-step instructions on how to get there.”

“Leadership isn’t a title; it’s the influence we bring through every interaction.”

Question to Ponder

1. How might you articulate your own Culture Code so that every team member feels empowered to co-create, measure impact, and lead—regardless of their title?

Links and References

For more insights and practical tips, be sure to check out Jason V Barger’s book Breathing Oxygen. This book dives deeper into the concepts discussed in this episode and provides additional strategies for fostering a positive mindset and effective leadership.

Visit ThermostatCulturesLive.com referenced in this episode

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By incorporating these practices into your summer routine, you can breathe new life into your personal and professional endeavors. Remember, as Jason says, “The best leaders, teams, and cultures on the planet stimulate progress by recalibrating their thermostat together.”

Our next episode will feature Culture Lessons from HubSpot. Stay Tuned!