The Role of Honesty & Integrity in Startups: Short Note

We seldom talk about these issues when it comes to diagnosing the fall & failure of startups. I strongly feel that:

If you aspire to build a solid startup that is here to stay in the game for long, the founders should set the highest standard that is built on the foundation of honesty and integrity.

Ethics should never be compromised at the cost of companies’ short-term growth because eventually, it will create a culture that will be irreparable and frustrating to manage.

As founders/leaders, if you are not honest with your fellow founders, investors colleagues how can you be loyal to your clients and customers? No amount of money can fix ethical and cultural issues.

At the end of the day, it is your people who are your real asset, and if they start feeling that something is not right in the company culturally it will be enough to dismantle your startup towards its fate, you may succeed in delaying the same but you can’t sustain it for sure.

Where does the problem lie?

We often try to fix the problem not from the root level but at the surface level because in India saying goes like

“Jo Dikhta Hai Wo Bikta Hai “

What is seen is sold

So we often work hard to polish and repair the startup so much so that it may give a positive message to the outside world, but we forget to take care of our internal world, which requires a different approach altogether to amend things.

Honesty Is The Best Policy:

Being honest is not easy and expensive but the real solution also lies in the same as it will not patch things it will strengthen the culture and the overall startup fabrics to keep it afloat against all odds.

Thus I say:

“Be honest it will always pay off in the long run. “