Afford Anything · Friday, July 10, 2026
Lorraine Marchand discusses the importance of rituals in company culture, using the example of a Silicon Valley CEO who implemented a 'pancake breakfast test' for new hires. This informal setting allowed the team to assess a candidate's fit and chemistry with the company.
“The pancake breakfast is about being in an organization where you need to create a ritual that reflects your culture and your values, but it has to be done in a really practical way, something that everybody understands, that gives us insights into how the team's gonna function together, how people are gonna get along.”
“After the pancake breakfast, the team would get together and decide, yay or nay on this person. Did they pass the pancake breakfast test?”
“I don't care if you have pancakes or dumplings or waffles or whatever the food is. It's like around creating that shared experience and bringing enough of the company together that you're having a casual conversation and you're figuring out whether there's chemistry with the people that you're bringing into the organization.”