5 exercises — decode the idioms startups use to describe how their teams work and what they value.
Team culture idioms in this set
wear many hats — take on many different roles
10x engineer — a (debated) idea of a hugely more productive engineer
scrappy — resourceful and determined despite limited resources
move fast and break things — prioritise speed over polish
culture fit — how well someone aligns with the team's values
0 / 5 completed
1 / 5
A job ad says you will "wear many hats". What does this mean?
To wear many hats means to perform several different roles — the "hats" being different jobs. In an early startup, one person might do engineering, support, and a bit of marketing because there is no one else. The phrase signals breadth over specialisation and is common in startup job ads. It can be a positive (variety, growth, impact) or a warning (under-resourced, unfocused), depending on the context.
2 / 5
Someone refers to a colleague as a "10x engineer". What does this idiom claim — and why is it debated?
The 10x engineer idiom claims some engineers are roughly ten times more productive than the average. While individual differences are real, the term is heavily debated: critics argue it ignores collaboration, glorifies lone-hero behaviour, and is often used to excuse poor teamwork. Many now prefer praising engineers who make the whole team more effective ("10x teams"). Knowing the term — and its controversy — helps you read startup culture critically.
3 / 5
A founder proudly calls the team "scrappy". What does this mean?
Scrappy is a compliment in startup culture: it describes a team that is resourceful, gritty, and finds clever ways to win despite having less money, fewer people, and less infrastructure than bigger competitors. A scrappy team duct-tapes a solution together and ships rather than waiting for perfect tools. It celebrates hustle and pragmatism — though taken too far it can romanticise unsustainable corner-cutting.
4 / 5
The phrase "move fast and break things" (famously Facebook's early motto) means what?
Move fast and break things captures a startup philosophy: ship quickly, learn from real users, and accept that some breakage is the cost of speed — you can fix it as you go. It reflects the bet that the risk of being slow outweighs the risk of imperfect releases. Notably, even Facebook later softened it to "move fast with stable infrastructure," acknowledging that unchecked breakage has real costs at scale. The phrase is now both an ideal and a cautionary tale.
5 / 5
An interviewer says a candidate was a great "culture fit". What does this mean — and what is the modern critique?
Culture fit means how well a person aligns with a team's values, communication style, and ways of working. It matters — shared values reduce friction. But it is increasingly critiqued: when used loosely, "fit" can become an excuse to hire people who are similar to the existing team, entrenching homogeneity and bias. Many organisations now favour "culture add" — what new perspective does this person bring? — to capture the upside while avoiding the diversity pitfall.