The 120-Meter Lesson for Start-Ups

When the Petronas Towers were built in Kuala Lumpur, they weren’t just designed to

impress above the skyline. What made them possible was what happened

underground: engineers spent months constructing the deepest foundation in the

world, over 120 metres (400 feet) deep, the deepest in the world today, before the

first visible structure even began to rise. From street level, it looked like nothing was

happening. But without that foundation, the towers could never have stood tall

against wind, weather, and time.

Startups are much the same, they need a very strong foundation. Founders often

pour their energy into what’s visible: the product, the marketing, the sales figures,

hurtling towards funding and investors. Most often, they neglect the unseen,

required, groundwork: culture, values, diversity and inclusion. A few studies have

shown that the limited early hiring could be strongly defined by Affinity Bias and this

could be a risky proposition in times to come.

The Early-Stage Blind Spot

In the first months and early years of a new venture, culture, diversity and inclusion

can feel intangible, something to “get to later” once revenue is stable. But the reality

is, a company’s culture begins forming the moment the first few people are hired.

Every decision:- who is being hired, the rationale for a business decision, what

triggers the leaders, how meetings are run, who’s voiced are heard… the small team

is watching and learning and this sets a precedent. These precedents harden

quickly, and if inclusive behaviours are not seen as non-negotiable, companies can

inadvertently create environments where uniformity thrives, and diversity struggles to

find its spot. By the time the leadership team decides it is important, patterns are

cemented and become much harder and costlier to breach.

Why Diverse Teams Are an Early Advantage

Decades of research have shown diverse teams outperform homogeneous ones in

creativity, innovation, and decision-making. In an early-stage company, where every

choice can alter the trajectory, this is not just nice to have, it’s a competitive

advantage.

Every diverse team member will bring a different perspective to the table, building

the cultural blocks, influencing accessibility, policy and define the ‘voice’ of the

organization. This fuels innovation and builds organizational resilience. For instance,

a person with disability can influence product design, a female leader brings

empathy into decision-making, Gen X-the wisdom that comes with experience, Gen

Z a view of the future.

Delaying the work of building inclusion can cost more than money. Risks include:

• The homogeneity trap: Hiring “people like us” becomes the default,

  narrowing perspectives.

• Talent loss: People from underrepresented backgrounds leave if the

  environment doesn’t support them.

• Brand damage: Reputations form fast and are hard to shift.

• Expensive retrofits: Fixing culture later often means leadership training,

  restructuring, and policy overhauls.

Much like skyscraper engineering, retrofitting the foundation after the building has

risen is costly, risky, and sometimes impossible without major disruption.

Investors Are Paying Attention

Increasingly, investors are looking beyond product and market size. They’re

assessing whether founders are building teams and cultures that can scale without

breaking.

Why? Because poor culture is a growth risk. It leads to high turnover, reputational

damage, and operational bottlenecks, all of which affect the bottom line.

One investor comment from a recent deal summed it up: “Cultural maturity far

beyond their size; leadership we can trust to scale sustainably.” That trust often

stems from evidence that inclusion and values aren’t afterthoughts, but embedded in

the DNA from day one.

Laying the Foundation: Practical Steps for Founders

1. The good news is, you don’t need a large budget to start building an inclusive culture. You need intent, consistency, and follow-through.

2. Hire with intention: Expand sourcing beyond personal networks. Actively

   seek diverse talent.

3. Articulate your values early: Write them down, share them, seek inputs from

   your diverse talent-base and live them in daily decisions. These values need

   to be non-negotiable.

4. Model inclusive leadership: Actively seek perspectives from all team

   members; value dissenting opinions.

5. Create transparent systems: Even before formal HR, set clear policies on

   pay, promotions, and feedback. Define and articulate future intent, everyone

   understands that improvisation is a journey, particularly in start-up mode; the

   intention needs to be clear.

6. Track your diversity metrics: Even with a small headcount, measure and

   review. Ensure though that this does not become a goal in itself. Measuring

   metrics goes beyond accounting for numbers, it includes your ability to make

   policy, process and program shifts to accommodate the needs of the diverse

   talent who join you on the journey.

The Petronas Towers stand today not only because of their soaring design, but

because of the unseen 120 metres beneath them. The same is true for companies:

the deeper and stronger your foundation, the higher you can go.