• David tackles the question of whether, ethics aside, the Wolf of Wall Street Jordan Belfort's Stratton Oakmont brokerage house was actually an example of a successful culture.
• David tells us why he believes culture is like an ecosystem, and why high performers can only flourish under the right conditions.
• David explains why trust is fundamental to a great culture, and why vulnerability and trust go hand in hand.
• David tells us the most important trait he looks for when interviewing potential employees, and gives us his strategies to help find people willing to experience personal breakthroughs.
• David tells us how his first job as a car salesman helped him clarify how he didn't want to treat people.
• David explains why he thinks money is a threshold, and tells us what motivates people once that threshold is achieved.
• David explores why Warren Buffet can walk into a room and make a multi-million dollar deal on nothing more than a handshake.
•  Finally, David shares his number one tip to help create an engaged atmosphere at your company.

Not according to today’s Awesome Office guest, David Hassell, a serial entrepreneur and “the most connected man you don’t know in Silicon Valley,” according to Forbes magazine.

His current venture is 15five, a technology solution that helps improve transparency and communication between managers and employees, and provide critical insights for your company.

As you’ll hear, 15five was inspired by ESPRIT founder Doug Tompkins, who realized that if he asked all of his employees to spend 15 minutes writing a report that took their manager no more than 5 minutes to read, he’d have a more engaged company.

We talked to David about a wide range of subjects, but what we found most interesting was his belief that the goal of his software is not to make employee’s happy, but to help them be their best selves, and ultimately to create an environment where they can perform at their highest level. Sometimes this means harnessing the power of good discomfort - or eustress. 

Often, this is extremely fulfilling for employees and their managers, but happiness isn’t necessarily the goal - nor should it be.

David joined us via Skype from 15five’s offices in San Francisco. This was a fantastic conversation, and one that we decided to release in two parts.