SH*T LEADERS MAKE SHI*T CULTURES
I once worked under a paranoid micromanager. The kind of boss you could smell fear on.
He called after hours, late at night, and especially on weekends. He overran Friday meetings so often we started calling them “Friday hostage situations.” He withheld information, played mind games, and when things inevitably went wrong — he blamed his team. Every. Single. Time.
Sound familiar?
If you’ve ever had a shit boss, you know the damage they cause. But here’s the truth most founders and leaders don’t want to hear: you’re not immune. In fact, you’re more at risk than anyone.
Because when you’re building a business, you don’t just create a product — you create a culture. And if you don’t watch yourself, you’ll build the very same toxic mess you once swore you’d escape.
Culture is Leadership on Repeat
Let’s get one thing clear: culture is not what you write in a handbook. It’s not a motivational poster. It’s not a line on your website about “integrity.”
Culture is what you tolerate.
Culture is what you repeat.
Culture is what you model.
If you stay late every night, your team will too.
If you freak out and blame others, so will they.
If you withhold information, don’t be surprised when your staff hoard it like contraband.
Culture is nothing more than leadership, repeated at scale.
And sh*t leadership spreads like mould.
The Founder’s Mirror
Here’s the brutal truth: your startup culture is just a reflection of you.
If you’re resilient, your culture will be resilient.
If you’re paranoid, your culture will be paranoid.
If you respect boundaries, your people will respect boundaries.
You can’t preach balance and resilience while glorifying 16-hour days and WhatsApp messages at midnight. You can’t tell your team to “take ownership” while blaming them for your mistakes.
Your business becomes whatever you are.
So if you don’t like your culture, look in the mirror.
Boundaries Are Systems, Not Fluff
Here’s the bit most founders screw up: they think boundaries are a luxury. Something you “add later” once the business isn’t on fire.
Wrong.
Boundaries are survival systems.
Without boundaries, you don’t get resilience. You get resentment. And resentment is the cancer of culture.
Don’t want a burned-out team? Stop burning yourself out.
Don’t want paranoia? Share information freely.
Don’t want toxic late nights? Stop rewarding people for being “always on.”
It’s not soft. It’s not optional. It’s the operating system that keeps your startup alive.
Lessons From Shit Managers
The good thing about working for shit managers? They’re case studies in how not to lead.
Every founder I know has scars from bad bosses. And yet too many end up recreating those same toxic patterns in their own business. Why? Because stress makes you default to what you know.
Here’s what I learned from mine:
Information hoarding kills trust. Share everything you can. Transparency is cheaper than paranoia.
Blame kills initiative. If you punish mistakes, don’t expect innovation.
Out-of-hours calls kill loyalty. Emergencies happen. But if “emergency” means “every night,” you’re not leading — you’re panicking.
Meetings that overrun kill energy. Respect people’s time or they’ll stop respecting you.
Sh*t managers are cautionary tales. Use them.
Startups Don’t Fail Because of Bad Ideas
Everyone thinks startups fail because of bad products or bad timing. Bollocks.
Plenty of stupid ideas have worked: Pet Rocks, Crocs, bottled water, the Snuggie. The difference wasn’t the idea - it was the system, the execution, the culture.
Most startups don’t die because the idea was bad. They die because the culture collapsed under bad leadership.
No resilience. No boundaries. No trust.
And it always starts at the top.
Practical Shifts Founders Can Make
So how do you stop yourself becoming the shit boss you hated?
Set real boundaries. No 10pm calls unless the building is literally on fire.
Be accountable. Own your failures. It sets the tone.
Respect time. If you run a meeting, finish on time. If you can’t, it means you didn’t prepare.
Over-communicate. Share what you know, even if it’s messy. Silence breeds paranoia.
Model resilience. Take breaks. Leave on time. Show people you mean it.
None of this is rocket science. But it requires discipline.
The Humour in It All
The funniest part? Founders spend thousands on culture consultants, HR workshops, and employee engagement software. But culture doesn’t come from software. It comes from you.
You can put up beanbags and neon signs all you want. If you’re still a paranoid micromanager, your culture will still stink.
And one day, your employees will tell stories about you the same way I’m telling this one.
The Blunt Truth
You are the culture.
If you want resilience, model it.
If you want accountability, live it.
If you want balance, enforce it.
Otherwise, don’t be surprised when your “dream team” quietly hates you.
Because shit leaders make shit cultures. And shit cultures kill startups faster than bad ideas ever will.
Closing Punch
Boundaries aren’t optional. They’re survival.
So stop being the d*ckhead boss you once prayed would quit.
