5 Hard Questions for Building a Company Culture That Lasts

Operators · Nov 4, 2026 · 1h 7m

How do you create a company culture that’s a competitive advantage?

Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi) and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) build culture through deliberate choices, while most brands leave it to chance. They work through it in five hard questions:

1. Who should you let go?

2. How close should you get?

3. What won’t you tolerate?

4. Why are values a “trade”?

5. Where do leaders go next?

Matt has hired and fired hundreds, and no two exits looked alike. Mike surveyed his entire team, and 80% praised the same quality in him: transparency. As AI takes over the busywork…