It’s that time of year again, when nearly 17,000 people gather in downtown Denver to talk shop and celebrate entrepreneurship at 2019’s Denver Startup Week (DSW).

With 417 unique programs and events, DSW showcases topics for everyone—and the 90 team was on the scene to hear some of the city’s best and brightest minds share their ideas and inspiration for success. We sent a cross-department crew to experience the action and bring back learnings from the four-day event.

Here are some highlights from the 90 team.

Curate Your Brain Real Estate

At the DSW Kickoff Celebration, Becca, our Talent Operations Director, took away some Advice about advice: You have precious space in your brain, so make sure you’re filling it with value.

While it’s important to be open to new connections, conversations and experiences, quality reigns over quantity. Not everything you hear—whether advice, opinions, or feedback—should be taken for gospel.

You have the power to decide the advice you should listen to—and the advice you should just smile through, but not take.

Set the Tone with a Cultural Gatekeeper

At a session called Growing a Values-Oriented Culture from 3 to 300 (and Beyond!), Maddy, our Cross-Channel Director, took in a panel discussion on the importance of protecting company culture at a growing business.

Sure, job descriptions are important to jobseekers, but there’s more to it than that. The importance of company culture is paramount in building a community within office walls. But how can companies maintain a strong, healthy culture as they grow larger?

That’s where the “Cultural Gatekeeper” comes into play. The “Gatekeeper” is someone who embodies the values of a company and intertwines them with the hiring process.

Running a gut-check for a candidate’s culture fit helps remove potential biases from the interview team and ensures the culture shines through as the company grows—making the overall hiring process much more successful.

Meet Your Customers Where They’re Going to Be

At Think Like a Shrink! How to Use Psychology to Drive Successful Business, Kristina, one of 90’s Paid Media Strategists, learned how deeply psychology is engrained in the business and customer relationship.

As marketing perpetually evolves, so do the needs and wants of its most important piece—the customer. Companies must take a deep dive into the complex psychologies of their audience—not just their wallets. Pairing psychology with business is the best practice to know what makes your customers tick, and most importantly, to deliver on it.

 Looking for more highlights from the 2019 Denver Startup Week or want to start a conversation? Reach out to us.