David Walker, cofounder and CEO of Spara, points out a common mistake among CEOs: they often hire first and then try to create their company culture. Walker gained this insight from personal experience. At a previous company, he had to dismiss two high-performing employees. They were negatively affecting the culture by trying to outshine others rather than cooperating with them. Despite receiving feedback, their behavior did not change.
Walker remarked, “The thing that most CEOs get wrong is that they make hiring decisions and then they go try to set their culture.” After letting them go, Walker observed a noticeable improvement in workplace morale and energy. In addition, employees began recommending more job candidates. His primary regret was delaying the decision for several months.
Walker is now applying these insights to Spara, a company he started in 2024. The AI startup has around 24 employees and specializes in creating tools for sales teams. Prior to Spara, Walker co-founded a tech-driven real estate brokerage, which he eventually sold.
Hiring for Cultural Fit
Walker emphasizes that a company’s culture is not about trendy office settings but rather about the people it chooses to hire and reward. According to Walker, “Hiring decisions are the bedrock of setting your culture.” He advises that if you ever feel like the smartest person at your company, you’re likely not hiring well. Instead, you should have a sense of “self-imposed imposter syndrome.”
Talent isn’t the sole criterion. Walker believes that an indicator of cultural fit is whether someone boosts those around them or diminishes them. An example would be someone who, after doing 80% of the work, publicly acknowledges the contributions of others who completed the rest. They give credit where it’s due.
Walker notes that employees who feel the need to “win” interactions may see colleagues’ ideas as threats. In contrast, those who encourage the sharing of ideas contribute to authentic collaboration.
Challenging Leadership
Walker wants employees who can challenge him. It’s not enough for employees to be experts; they must also feel comfortable questioning the CEO. In return, Walker makes it a point to explain his decisions, not just deliver them.
Early in his career, Walker found it challenging to say no to more experienced team members. To address this, he began explaining the reasons behind his decisions. This approach allowed for open dialogue where employees could understand and evaluate his judgments.
Walker adheres to the principle of “disagree and commit,” even for himself. When he accepts a team’s strategy but disagrees, they decide in advance how to assess the outcome. This could involve reviewing customer responses to a change. Having a plan for evaluation helps change direction without appearing indecisive.
Stagnation is the worst outcome for a growing company. “The worst thing you can do building a company is just have decisions that don’t get made,” Walker concluded.