WHAT DRIVES SUCCESS?
insights & lessons from a 20 yr old startup + 100+ thought-leaders
NxJ CULTURE Deck
2014
March 3, 2014
twitter: @charlieykim
BETTER
me + you = us

PRESCHOOL: Leadership Lessons for Business
“..more lessons on importance of rituals, character
development…overall growth in people”
2

RAISING CHILDREN = BEST CRUCIBLE FOR BUSINESS you care ST + LT
3

this talk is about…

TOOLS
 TO ACTION
INSPIRE
thought leaders
implementation leaders
4

CONTEXT: IT’S A NEW ECONOMY yet most companies operate in outdated ways
AGRICULTURE ECONOMY
MANUFACTURING ECONOMY
INFORMATION ECONOMY
Land was the most valuable asset
Machines were the most valuable asset
People are another form of machine
Human capital is the most valuable asset
LAND
PRODUCTS & MACHINES
PEOPLE
FIRST
FIRST
FIRST
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INTERNET & MOBILE ENGINEERS forced to innovate to attract & retain talent
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Attracting & Retaining Engineers

ATTRACTING TOP 1%
MIT, CORNELL, CMU, GT

RETENTION
2 YRS 40% TURNOVER  ~1% LAST 2 YEARS
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HIRING what we learned, start with right mindset
STUDENTS

RESPONSIBLE

GROWING

GRATEFUL
Failing
EXPERT

VICTIM

KNOW-IT-ALL

ENTITLED
Humility
8

INVESTMENT in LOSS good failing = experience
Dr. Jim Loehr (Founder Human Performance Institute)
50% of the work is with parents
…most of the problems are because of the parents.
Kiss of death when you win too much as a child
– get exaggerated view of yourself. Sense of entitlement.
Winning can extinguish their drive, lose confidence.
Parents who just left them alone..they don’t choke
as much because they don’t worry about losing.
What kids really want is your favor.
9

NEXT JUMP GOALS why we do the things we do
GOAL: NEXT JUMP
BUILD A TOP10 GLOBAL TECH COMPANY
AUDACIOUS GOAL: THE NEXT JUMP PROJECT
CHANGE THE WORLD…
BY CHANGING WORKPLACE CULTURE
10

ARE YOU A ZOMBIE? not alive, not dead
NOT ENGAGED: self, family, friends, work
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WHEN YOU ARE AT YOUR BEST…You feel


YOU’RE GROWING
DEPRESSED


GOOD AT SOMETHING  USELESS

TRUSTED
ALONE


SENSE OF PURPOSE
MEANING OF LIFE?


ALIVE
DEAD
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HOW WE OPERATE all the research backs this up
Winning Process
Outcome
GROWTH + PURPOSE = TRUE WEALTH
constant improvement
of oneself
higher purpose of
helping others
BETTER me + BETTER you =
long-term sustained
happiness
BETTER us
BETTER
me + you = us
13

OXYGEN MASK selfish before selfless
 You must take care of yourself
 Before you can take care of others


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OVER 50 PROGRAMS focused on BETTER me + BETTER you
BETTER me
NxJ University
CEO Talks
Fitness + Nutrition
BETTER you
OO.com
Reflections
FastTrack
Project Padawan
10xFactor
Vendor Appreciation Day
Forgotten Ones
NxJ Avengers
Love Day
NxJ Hackathon
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BETTER me
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TIMELINE of BUILDING SAFETY we operate best when we feel safe
1994
2000
2002
2006
2008
TODAY
2012
NxJ Founded:
College Coupon Books
Grew to 150 NxJumpers
Hiring Process
Survived Dot Com Bust:
4 NxJumpers
Started
OPEN BOOK POLICY
Monday Staff Meetings:
We share weekly financials
We share quarterly board updates
FIRING
Hiring
Improvement:
Fired Brilliant Jerks
NO FIRING POLICY
@NextJump we don’t fire you
We coach you
Unexpected Outcomes:
 Everyone hires more carefully
 Vulnerability: self development
 Risk-Taking: ability to innovate (& fail)
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EXERCISE: healthier employees perform better
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NUTRITION: to increase energy levels
START WITH BREAKFAST
The Healthy Way to Start the Day
We’re sure you’ve heard it before: breakfast is the most important meal of the
day. A daily dose sharpens the mind, keeps energy high, and maintains body
weight. But that isn’t all. After fasting all evening, “breaking the fast” helps reload
low energy stores, which is the only fuel upon which the brain can function.
LUNCH: WORKOUT 1st
Incentivizing workouts with Healthy Lunch
“Workout with Us on Your Lunch Hour, We Provide a Healthy Meal.” We
believe in the power of exercise so deeply, that we try to find any which way to
get our gang working out for more energy.
Thus came about how we incentivize exercise via healthy lunch offerings as a
means to help our people workout.
IT’S DINNER TIME
Our Family Eats Together
Families get together and dine together. Dinner time became much more than
a “grab and go.” We developed Next Jump family – our family at work. Not
only did we solve for the break in focus – we gained better development of
camaraderie and friendships.

FITNESS RESULTS: workout 2x week
Total Workouts To Date
90% 2x per
week
1600

1400
Use DATA
 Recognition
1200
Programs
1000
 TeamPlay +
800

 Top People
Leaderboard
On-Site Gyms
Total
Focus
600
400
200
5% 2x per
week
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
0
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
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Letters from Parents of NxJumpers…
The fitness center, nutritionist,
classes and competition form a
comprehensive, impressive
program. We know the program is
working. My son is twice the man
he used to be.
– Mom of NxJumper
21

CEOTalks Monthly speaker series to educate and inspire
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MENTORSHIP - TP: Talking Partners daily co-mentoring program
How It Works
MEET
Daily Ritual: eating breakfast together every
morning (consistency)
VENT
Toxins: get them out; home & work stuff
WORK
Expectations: push each other for greatness
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BETTER you
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CFAC: code-for-a-cause
Engineers spend 2 consecutive weeks of time per year helping non-profits in need
25

Adopt A Non-Profit
“What if every for-profit business adopted a worthy nonprofit business to share office space
with, share their business prowess, help mentor employees, and share some resources?
Imagine having thousands of businesses magnify the impact of smart charities. Now that
would be a revolution!” – Will Marre (co-founder Covey Leadership)
26

TOP10 Recognition: “Who helped you succeed the most?”
Top10 Award
Celebrate the linemen that helped you succeed, not the quarterbacks
27

MSD: random acts of kindness 2x per week gamified by teams
Make Someone’s Day
How would you treat someone if it was their last day on Earth?
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Former NxJumper: Mike Walters Story
29

On our walls…
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What should I do…

TOOLS
 TO ACTION
INSPIRE
thought leaders
implementation leaders
31

One made hall of fame, other didn’t..difference was PRACTICE
OUTCOME FOCUSED
WINNING PROCESS
“I’m good enough.
I don’t need to practice.”
“If you want to be great, you have
to fall in love with the process,
the hard work of practice.”
32

3 LEVELS OF IMPLEMENTATION most people don’t know how to do it
LEVEL 0
LEVEL 1
LEVEL 2
LEVEL 3
DON’T CARE
LOST
EARLY
ENLIGHTENED
DON’T KNOW HOW
BUT TRYING
BUT NOT REPEATABLE
CONVICTION
Check off the box
Experimenting
And Failing
Intensity
Solutions
Consistency
Solutions
[1x quarter/yr/ever]
[daily/weekly/mthly]
CULTURE defined by:
1x programs
CULTURE defined by:
rituals
Bare minimums
Someone else’s list
“Tell me what to do”
CULTURE defined by:
perks & benefits
CULTURE defined by:
social activities
33

INSIGHTS from 5 CO-MENTORS key lessons we applied
SIMON SINEK
JIM LOEHR
JOSH WAITZKIN
ADAM GRANT
NANCY SCHULMAN
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BETTER me
35

SAFE ZONES
Simon Sinek (Author of Start With Why & Leaders Eat Last, #2 TED TALK)
Human beings operate at their best within a circle of safety.
When they are fighting the dangers inside
they are unable to fight the dangers outside.
36

SAFETY where we operate best
IS NOT
IS
37

STRESS is the only way you GROW
Jim Loehr (Coach to world-class tennis, golf, NFL, NBA, Olympic athletes, top CEOs, FBI SWAT, any elite performer)
Everybody is looking for zones that are stress free
b/c belief is that’s where life is best.
This leads to complacency, death chant to your life,
muscles atrophy and you become a mental and emotional wimp.
STRESS is the only way you grow. Chronic stress is what leads to burnout.
STRESS
RECOVERY
38

GROWING stress is our friend, stress is how we grow
IS NOT
IS
39

STRENGTHEN YOUR CHARACTER just like muscles, otherwise they atrophy
Jim Loehr (Coach to world-class tennis, golf, NFL, NBA, Olympic athletes, top CEOs, FBI SWAT, any elite performer)
Character is a muscle.
It can be exercised and strengthened.
40

CHARACTER IMBALANCE poor judgment occurs under pressure
ARROGANCE
INSECURITY
Confidence w/out humility = hubris
Humility by itself w/out counterbalancing
muscle of confidence
CONFIDENCE
HUMILITY
HUMILITY
CONFIDENCE
41

The Matador Walk You is You
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SET UP YOUR PRACTICE GROUND You is You
[PRACTICE GROUND]
To Gain Field Experience
HOME
CULTURE
[GET BETTER RESULTS]
Byproduct
REVENUE
43

UPGRADE IN LEVELS
Josh Waitzkin (#1 Chess Player + #1 Martial Artists in the World)
Growth occurs in levels however, you do worse before you get better.
Our repeated thematic errors are never technical,
they are psychological emotional errors.
44

GROWING IN LEVELS many repeat the same levels over and over
IS NOT
IS
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NAYAN: practice building confidence trust yourself, build your own voice
 REVENUE
Owner: eCommerce Homepage
 CULTURE
Owner: Reflections [2x/mth]
 HOME
Owner: Restaurant Selection w/ Wife
46

BETTER you
47

GIVING in a sustainable long-term way
Adam Grant (Wharton Professor, Author of Best Seller Give & Take)
The most successful people are Givers however they are balanced
in Give & Take in the long run.
The most unsuccessful people are Givers who are imbalanced
in their Give & Take.
GIVERS
Matchers
Takers
givers
48

SUSTAINABLE GIVING it’s not charity, it’s fulfillment
IS NOT
IS
49

Adopt A Non-Profit
“People often ask our CEO what
benefits do you see from all your
giving back initiatives? Are
employees encouraged to use
weekends and evenings or is it
really part of their job?
For me, I went from quitting
to the most engaged I have
been at work and leave
every day a happier more
fulfilled person.”
- Crystal, Adopt a Non-Profit Captain
50

RITUALS, ROUTINES, BEHAVIORIAL CHANGE
Nancy Schulman (Head of Avenues Early Learning Preschool, former 92 St. Y Head of Preschool)
They may not like you at the moment, but love you in the long run.
Establish routines, be consistent.
[Learning to Spell Example]
INTENSITY
CONSISTENCY
51

CONSISTENCY vs INTENSITY this is how human beings grow, change, learn
IS NOT
IS
52

IN PRACTICE
INTENSITY

EXERCISE

MENTORSHIP

GIVING

NUTRITION
3-DAY LIQUID DIET
2-HOUR RUN
QUARTERLY OR ANNUAL MEETING
IN THE HOLIDAYS
CONSISTENCY

EXERCISE

MENTORSHIP

GIVING

NUTRITION
EAT BREAKFAST DAILY
30 MIN 2X/WEEK
DAILY TP: MEET VENT WORK
MSD 2X/WEEK
53

PRACTICE = when it doesn’t matter must be like breathing [Billy the Kid]
54

BETTER ME + BETTER YOU = BETTER US
5 keys to unlocking long-term sustained success:
IS
IS NOT
55

THE KEY INSIGHT…
Dr. Jim Loehr (Founder Human Performance Institute)
No change in people = No change in the business.
Transformational change in people =
Transformational change in the business.
56

OUR RESULTS THUS FAR…
ATTRACT & RETAIN PEOPLE
REVENUE
Turnover went from 40% to 1%
I LOVE not LIKE my Job: 20% to 90%
25% CAGR over last 5 years to 113% YoY
Still accelerating…
AWARDS & CASE STUDIES
57

DEFINE SUCCESS BETTER not in revenue, profits, share price, size of company
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STORY OF MY FATHER source of my inspiration
To do the LITTLE THINGS that allow others to do the GREAT THINGS they are MEANT TO DO
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Why we exist…
60

AS OF: March 3, 2014
THIS IS OUR CURRENT BEST THINKING
OF BUILDING A
TEACHING ORGANIZATION
We are actively experimenting & learning
61

Change this phrase:
"When I have enough for myself, then I will give to others."
To:
"I have so much more than most people, my cup
overfloweth onto others less fortunate.”
Thank You
Questions/Reactions/Feedback:
twitter: @charlieykim
BETTER
me + you = us