Today was tough. The war is taking its toll, and politics is creeping into places it shouldn’t be—into conversations, decisions, and even between people who are supposed to be on the same team.

It was exhausting. It was toxic. It was unnecessary. It didn’t belong.

And that’s exactly the kind of thing I refuse to let into my startup.

As a founder, I keep asking myself: How do we build the right culture? How do we filter the first hires, co-founders, investors, legal teams, and financial partners to make sure they align?

Because one thing is clear: I don’t want politics and small-mindedness in my house.

Every startup has a DNA, and it’s written by the first people in the room. They set the tone, define the culture, and make sure the company stays focused on building, not on unnecessary noise.

This is why early hiring isn’t just about skills—it’s about mindset. I’d rather have a slightly less experienced team member with the right attitude than a “superstar” who thrives on internal drama.

Politics and toxicity rarely announce themselves at the door. They creep in through vague red flags, through “gray areas” in behavior, through people who seem brilliant but operate with hidden agendas.

So how do you filter them out? Here are a few tactics that help:

• The alignment test: Ask candidates and investors direct questions about their values. How do they handle disagreements? What do they do when conflicts arise?
• The “coffee spill” test: See how they react to small, unexpected inconveniences. How someone treats a waiter or an intern says a lot about how they'll behave under pressure.
• The ego check: Do they listen, or just wait for their turn to speak? Are they open to feedback, or do they get defensive?
• The long-game question: Do they focus on the company's long-term mission, or just on short-term wins for themselves?

You can’t prevent every problem, but you can create an environment that discourages the wrong behavior.

• Radical transparency – When information flows openly, there’s less room for backroom politics.
• Clear principles – Not just a “culture deck” that gathers dust, but real, enforceable rules on how decisions are made.
• Zero tolerance for toxicity – One toxic person, no matter how skilled, can erode an entire culture. Fast.

With everything happening in the world, it’s easy to get distracted. But as founders, our job is to keep our team aligned, our mission clear, and our company moving forward—without letting external chaos turn into internal dysfunction.

I’ll keep thinking about this, refining it, and making sure my startup remains a place of clarity, focus, and impact.

What about you? Have you ever had to remove toxic elements from your startup? How did you handle it?