Anupam Mittal Says Motivational Posters Or Corporate Buzzwords Don’t Make For Company Culture

Entrepreneur Anupam Mittal remarked that workplace culture isn’t just about motivational posters or lofty mission statements. According to the Shark Tank India judge, it is a lived reality shaped by people and systems.

Anupam Mittal talks about company culture 

“Everyone says ‘Culture is everything.’ Mittal shared on LinkedIn. “Candidates say: ‘I’m looking for the right culture.’ Founders say: ‘We’re building a strong culture. But ask what exactly is culture… and suddenly, it’s crickets.”

He reasoned that companies like Enron, Theranos or Byju’s that got entangled in big scams also had a mission statement, but evidently they lacked a proper culture.

“So why did they implode so spectacularly?” Mittal questioned.

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Shark shares strategy

The Shaadi.com boss offered a striking formula using his profound entrepreneurial experience: Culture = Operating Model × People Strategy. It’s a concept grounded in the idea that both structure and talent are equally critical.

“If either one is zero, you’ve got… well, 0 culture,” he claimed. Mittal explained: “Great people + broken systems = chaos. Great systems + wrong people = gridlock. Only when both click, does magic happen.”

Next, Mittal shared what worked for him:

• Cross-functional weekly cadences

• Real-time business metrics that are transparent across teams

• Clarity over control, steering away from traditional “reporting”

• Directly Responsible Individuals (DRIs) to avoid diffusion of accountability

He concluded the post by promising to discuss the People Strategy in a follow-up post.

One user commented, “Majority of the Employees quit not because of the Salary but because of the Toxic Culture… Organization Culture is also area Specific.”

Another individual remarked, “Culture isn’t posters — it’s lived actions and everyday decisions. Your insight cuts through the fluff.”

A third user said, "Lovely take Anupam! Another key element is fostering psychological safety - it encourages innovation and honest feedback. For example, Google’s Project Aristotle."

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