How identity defines Spotify’s culture
From the outside Spotify is a company who has solved the riddle of scaling agile, but the insiders perspective might surprise you, with our structure more closely resembling a collection of startups sharing a wifi connection.
Outline/Structure of the Talk
Spotify is experiencing rapid growth and although it’s success is a combination of factors, culture is widely seen as our strongest suit. We only hire incredibly smart people, who are enticed by the challenge of working for a leading technology company, but in reality most choose to stay for the people they meet along the way.
The tribe structure is often explained to those outside the company as a “collection of teams”, but in reality it is so much more. With each of these startups (aka tribes) able to define their own culture, employees may be proud to work for Spotify, but it is the emblem of their tribe that covers their laptops and hoodies. Not only do very few people leave the company, but hardly anyone chooses to move tribes, despite being given the freedom to do so.
In an organizational structure more similar to that of the armed forces than that of our technology rivals, by luck or judgement Spotify has managed to create a system where everyone feels like they belong, creating long lasting loyalty and some side effects that keep the agile coaches busy.
Learning Outcome
Understanding that creating a sense of belonging is fundamental to any great culture.
Target Audience
Anyone interested in learning more about unique differences of tribes at Spotify
schedule Submitted 3 years ago
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