Own Your Culture

How to define, embed and manage a 21st century
company culture

“Shows how any leader can unlock the power of company culture”

- Ron Stern, Ex-CPO, Lyft

Given 

reviews from the leaders of

What People Leaders are Saying

“A framework and sorely needed model for how you can build your own version of amazing. This should be required reading for every leader who aspires to achieve success”

- Steve Cadigan, ex-VP Talent, Linkedin, Founder Cadigan Ventures

“Shows how any leader can unlock the power of company culture”

- Ron Stern, ex Chief People Officer, Lyft

“Provides tangible actions to bring to life the intangible nature of culture”

- Padma Thiruvengadam, ex-CPO, LEGO

About the book

Having a strong, functional company culture is important—so why don’t more leaders invest in it? Simple: they don’t know where to start.

Own Your Culture peels back the layers of company culture and provides leaders with actionable steps and tools they can use to define and embed it in their companies, based on more than 50 interviews with leaders around the world.  In this book, you will learn how to:

Understand

The consequences of the good and bad decisions that affect culture—and the techniques to deal with them

Develop

A checklist of activities that will strengthen your culture and your business

Prepare

A plan for the inevitable changes in how we build companies and adapt to remote/hybrid work in this uncharted environment

Download a free chapter of Own Your Culture

Want to get a sneak peak of Own Your Culture?

Download Chapter 6: Onboarding, Probation, Performance Evaluation and Exit , where you’ll learn:

  • How to onboard new employees in a remote or hybrid work environment
  • Why more and more companies are doing away with the traditional annual review process.
  • Why exit interviews should not be necessary
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About the Author

Brett is a company culture expert, startup investor and author, who consults on company culture and remote working for leading European startups and corporates, and has been a leading figure in the European tech community for over two decades.

An avid proponent of company culture development, Brett spent over 1,000 hours writing Own Your Culture, speaking to over 50 CEO’s and People Leader’s from some of the world’s fastest growing companies.

In his spare time he enjoys spending time with his wife and daughters, ordering (and drinking) wine from his native South Africa, and getting a good braai on the go when the weather allows for it.

Start to Own Your Culture today!

Ready to start the next chapter of your leadership journey? Get Own Your Culture on kindle or in hardback and start owning your culture today!

Get the book now

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This is the first book to shine a light deep inside the black box of startup and high-growth company culture, providing a clear and practical blueprint to help you define, embed and manage your culture.

"Own Your Culture delivers a framework and sorely needed model for how you can build your own version of amazing. I found my head nodding with each page I turned “yup, yes, yup, uh-huh, yes…” constantly. This should be required reading for every leader who aspires to achieve success today in their organization. You need to read Bretton Putter’s book."
Steve Cadigan - ex-VP Talent, Linkedin

Own Your Culture

how to define, embed and manage your company culture

In depth interviews with over 50 CEOs to understand how startups and high growth companies use their culture to achieve massive competitive advantage.

Explore the tools and techniques that leaders from companies like Adaptive Insights, Algolia, AngelList, SalesLoft and Hotjar use to:

Define, embed and manage their culture
Embed their culture into processes such as hiring, onboarding, probation and employee reviews
Create a values-driven interview process
Develop employee feedback as a means to build adaptability into their organizations
Build proactive learning environments
Create transparent, trusting and psychologically safe cultures
Invest in diversity and inclusion 
Deal with brilliant jerks and bad hires

What people are saying

Own Your Culture will help you develop a strong culture and future-proof your business

PAUL NIXON, CEO, LGT VESTRA US

This book is packed with actionable ideas, tools, techniques, and real-life stories that will help you design and develop the culture you want for your business.

SIMONE MAINI, COO, ELLIPTIC

There is no longer any excuse. Everyone can build a great company culture using the tools and techniques in this book.

IVAILO JORDANOV, 7% VENTURES, PARTNER

“Own Your Culture delivers a framework and sorely needed model for how you can build your own version of amazing. This should be required reading for every leader who aspires to achieve success today in their organization. You need to read Bretton Putter’s book.” 

STEVE CADIGAN, FORMER VP TALENT LINKEDIN, FOUNDER CADIGAN TALENT VENTURES

The timing for this book could not be better. Every business leader who wants to develop and strengthen the glue that is their organization’s culture should read this book.

NORA ROTHROCK, MD, US TAX & FINANCIAL

This book is powerful and so crucial, especially given all that is happening in the business world right now.

ROMANIE THOMAS, CEO, JUGGLEJOBS

Own Your Culture will help you build a culture to inspire your people and enable them to do their best work.

BRONWEN LOUBSER, CEO, FRAMES@53

Brett Putter has created a must read book that shows how any leader can unlock the power of company culture.

RON STORM, EX HEAD OF TALENT LYFT, CPO ZUNE

Culture is priority #1. No one captures it better than Bretton Putter.

DAVID CUMMINGS, ATLANTA VENTURES

Culture defines how a company hires, engages customers, builds product, partners with other companies, and ultimately treats all shareholders. Own Your Culture is the starting block to help you on the journey of crafting your company's culture.

CARLOS ESPINAL, PARTNER SEEDCAMP

Own Your Culture is the first book that truly demystifies how startups and high-growth companies develop such powerful company cultures.

ED SPIEGEL, CEO, PEER MEDICAL

Read this book if you would like to build, improve, or simply learn about the importance of company culture.

YURY TERESHCHENKO, DIRECTOR, EVORI

Brett does a beautiful job providing tangible actions for leaders to bring to life the intangible nature of culture.

PADMA THIRUVENGADAM, EX-CPO LEGO, CHRO TAKEDA PHARMA

The culture-driven CEOs interviewed in this book don’t just invest in their culture; they use it as the cornerstone of every business decision, aligning behavior with the company’s core values, mission, and vision.
Prying open the black box of high-growth company cultures, this book delves deeper into the inner workings of culture to explain exactly what it is, how it works, and why it matters for you.