How do you understand a company’s culture before you start?
How to Actually Understand a Company’s Culture Before You Join
In this episode of VHTB, Justus Kilian of Space Capital is joined by Seyka Mejeur of AdAstra and Matt Gjertsen of Better Every Day Studios to answer a listener's question: How can you figure out what a company’s culture is really like before accepting a role?
They talk through practical ways to figure that out. what to look for in team backgrounds, how to ask better questions in interviews, and what signals to watch for throughout the hiring process. Seyka shares examples from recruiting and talent advising, where vague or conflicting answers often reflect deeper issues. Matt points out how simple things like whether someone shows up on time or follows through tend to say more than formal mission statements.
They also talk about layoffs, Glassdoor, and how to handle questions about red flags you’ve read about online.
Episode Highlights
00:00 Introduction: How to evaluate company culture before joining
01:00 The listener question: how can you tell what a company’s culture is like?
02:00 What to look for before applying: team patterns, past experience, org design
03:30 What misalignment in interview answers might signal
05:00 Why cultural values should filter, not appeal to everyone
07:00 How early-stage startups often skip narrative clarity
08:52 What culture really reflects (and why it shows up whether or not you plan it)
10:56 Red flags to watch for: follow-through, timing, distractions
13:00 Can team tenure, org structure, or LinkedIn patterns tell you anything?
14:02 How specific questions help test for value alignment
15:52 Can a “bad” layoff be a dealbreaker? When it should be a conversation
17:00 How companies respond to cultural missteps
18:00 Why it’s worth asking about specific moments, even if they’re awkward
18:36 The importance of prep: know what you want
19:42 Wrapping up: the cues that often matter more than what’s said
Episode Takeaways
- Before assessing any company’s culture, be clear on what you’re looking for. Culture fit is personal, not universal.
- Team patterns, past roles, and interview behavior can reveal more than official messaging.
- Misalignment across interviews is worth noting. Consistency often signals clarity.
- A polished values page doesn’t mean much if there’s no real follow-through.
- Ask direct questions. Also, pay attention to how interviewers behave, not just what they say.
- Layoffs and negative press can be worth asking about the response often tells you more than the incident itself.
- Culture exists by default. If it’s not shaped intentionally, it still takes shape just with less clarity.
- Startups shouldn’t try to appeal to everyone. Strong signals help attract alignment and filter out poor fits.
