Why do we build?

A manifesto for reclaiming culture, restoring kindness, and remembering why we care.

I’m just like you.

I’ve been grinding non-stop, working for some of the most iconic tech companies.

Great products. Real impact. Campaigns millions have seen, used, shared.

Fifteen years in this industry. I’ve learned a lot.

But something broke after the pandemic. The layoffs. The culture whiplash. The way talented friends tell me they feel stuck … scared to speak, scared to lose their jobs.

The interviews that feel more like interrogations than a dialogue. The burnt-out managers. The quiet cruelty that now passes for "normal." Even AI … one of the most exciting innovations in human history has been wrapped in fear, panic, and fatalism.

In tech, the energy has shifted.

Leadership feels cynical. Interviews feel transactional. The optimism that once defined our space has hardened into something colder. Brittle.

And yet, beneath it all, I see people craving something different.

Not just to build for building’s sake. Not just to grind for the next promo or title.

But to do deeply meaningful work, with brilliant, kind, purpose-driven people.

Funny but this desire was firstly captured by Timothée Chalamet when he said something quietly radical for this generation:

"I'm really in pursuit of greatness."

His words went viral.

Do you know why?

Because we’ve lost our way a bit.

We were told that the rules had changed. That we need to optimize for profit. Be efficient. Downsize. Obey the market.

"Efficiency" became the headline of every company update. And yes … efficiency matters. Of course it does. It's essential to run a business. But it doesn’t inspire.

Efficiency doesn’t build movements. It doesn’t unlock brilliance.

The next wave of builders is looking for more.

And they should. They want meaning. They want unity.

They want to know: Why do we build?

Because the old world won’t cut it. This new generation? They’re smart. Media-savvy. Values-led. They’re not here for performative startup culture. They want the real thing.

The way we hire, organize, build, and lead? It all has to change because That Shit Ain’t Gonna Work.

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What They Crave

• Empowerment: Not just feeling strong, but having real agency. Owning their voices.

• Excellence: Not vanity. Not theater. Real, thoughtful craft.

• Intellectual stimulation: They want to think, not just execute. They crave nuance, complexity, strategic depth.

• Inspiring collaborators: People who elevate their thinking and their humanity.

• Kindness: No ego battles. No toxicity. No divide. A culture of care and mutual growth.

• Leadership: They’re not just here to win and they want to lift others. Guide. Teach. Shape.

• Problem-solving: Not building for the sake of building. But unblocking something real. Something urgent.

• Community : A sense of shared purpose. Mutual recognition. Belonging. Especially now in the age of AI.

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The Shift We Need

Tech has long obsessed over what to build. But we’re overdue for a reckoning with why. We don’t need more cash-back startups. We need more spaces of meaning to build things that truly matters.

We need to build systems that empower. Products that unblock. Teams that elevate.

Leadership that truly cares. We need to bring culture back.

"Culture" isn’t a slide deck. Or a vibe.

Not the fluffy, watered-down version. Culture is a set of lived values.

It’s how we define excellence. It’s what we take pride in.

It’s how we treat each other when no one’s watching.

And we’ve let it slide for the past four years. Culture is not weakness.

It’s a competitive advantage.

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So Why Do We Build?

Because creation is the opposite of despair.

Because real power is not about domination, it’s about transformation.

Because technology can still be an instrument of dignity, clarity, and progress.

Because what we build reflects what we believe.

Because we still care.

Because we still believe.

Because we know this isn’t about mediocrity.

It’s about craft. And impact. And excellence.

We build because we want to make something great and to do it with people who challenge and inspire us to be better.

Because the future doesn’t just happen.

We build it.

Together.