How a living culture makes the best bread.

A.K.A. Why teams struggle when growth isn’t clearly articulated.

This is a pattern I’ve seen play out more times than I’d like.
Talented, motivated people join a business wanting to bring fresh ideas and energy, only to find there’s no real permission to act.

Not because founders don’t value creativity.
But because there’s no shared understanding of how the business actually grows.

So ideas stall.
Enthusiasm fades.
And a lot of potential never gets realised.

This is where sourdough comes in. Stay with me.

Fermentation is one of the oldest technologies we have. It’s the ability to turn simple ingredients into something alive, potent, and deeply nourishing.

A living culture.
It’s fragile.
It’s unpredictable.
It’s not fully within our control.
But the benefits are transformational.

What’s often missed is this:
Fermentation only works under very precise conditions.
Time.
Temperature.
Fuel.

Occasionally it happens by accident.
More often, the conditions have to be deliberately defined.

The same is true of creative cultures inside businesses.
Too often, we focus on the bread. The output.
And not enough on the starter — the clearly articulated conditions that allow creativity, trust, and growth to compound.

When those parameters aren’t defined, creativity doesn’t flourish. It hesitates. Because no one knows whether they’re helping the business grow or pushing it off track.

If founders want their teams to reach their full potential, the work isn’t about letting go. It’s about articulating how growth actually happens, and distilling what already works into a system others can run with confidence.

Because a living culture doesn’t happen by accident.
It’s designed.