Culturelytics: Yeshasvini Ramaswamy on Measuring Organizational Culture and Its Financial Impact
Organizational culture has long been dismissed as a "soft" issue, but for serial entrepreneur Yeshasvini Ramaswamy, it is a $4.7 trillion problem. With 70% of global M&A deals failing due to culture clashes, Yeshasvini founded Culturelytics—the world's first AI-powered platform to quantify culture and link it directly to financial performance. A veteran with 20 years of experience and four startups under her belt, Yeshasvini is on a mission to bring "Culture Due Diligence" to the forefront of corporate decision-making.
Yeshasvini’s journey into entrepreneurship was not a sudden epiphany but a gradual evolution driven by a passion for solving complex puzzles. "I started my first startup 12 years ago," she reflects. "Before that, I was a senior HR leader. I've always been excited by solving problems, and the more complex they are, the better. Culture is the ultimate puzzle because it's so multi-dimensional and often invisible."
The CCQ: Quantifying the Invisible
Culturelytics uses a proprietary score called the Culture Coherence Quotient (CCQ). "We don't tell organizations if their culture is 'right' or 'wrong'," Yeshasvini explains. "We measure if their culture is aligned with their goals. If you want to be debt-free but your culture doesn't promote cost-saving, you have a gap. We calculate the dollar impact of that gap, and that’s when everyone sits up and takes notice."
Why Startups Fail: The Culture Derailler
While many early-stage founders focus solely on product-market fit or fundraising, Yeshasvini argues that culture is the real make-or-break factor. "The biggest derailer for startups is partner conflict," she says. "When four friends get together to build a company, their values must be aligned. If your culture doesn't promote transparency and collaboration from day one, even the greatest idea will fail in execution."
She emphasizes that resilience, especially in times of crisis like a pandemic, is a direct outcome of the culture an entrepreneur builds within their workforce. "People join for money, but they stay for culture. You need to invest in that fabric from the very beginning."
The Influencer Network: Finding Hidden Leaders
One of the most powerful features of Culturelytics is its Organizational Network Analysis (ONA). "We identify the informal networks within a company," Yeshasvini notes. "Surprisingly, the most influential people are often not the ones in the C-suite. We find junior folk who enjoy a high amount of trust. These are the people you need to engage with if you want to drive a successful cultural change."
This "outside-in" view, combined with natural language processing and deep value assessments, allows Culturelytics to provide high-credibility validation for leadership decisions, especially during mergers and acquisitions.
Yeshasvini's Advice for Founders
- Know Your 'Why': Don't become an entrepreneur just because it's fashionable. Have a clear reason for why you want to solve a specific problem.
- Fundraise with Caution: When you raise money, you are accountable. Don't dilute your company too much too early, and don't let a check force you to build a company you never wanted.
- Be a Great Listener: As an entrepreneur, you are constantly making decisions. To carry people with you, you must be humble, patient, and an exceptional listener.
- Don't Take Yourself Too Seriously: Take the problem and the idea seriously, but keep your ego in check. Egos are a waste of time.
The Gender Advantage in Problem Solving
As a woman serial entrepreneur in the AI and M&A space, Yeshasvini has faced her share of stereotypes. "People often assume I'm in interior design or yoga," she laughs. "But when I tell them I'm in AI and mergers, they are taken aback." She believes women have an edge in entrepreneurship due to their inherent multitasking abilities and resilience, especially in the complex landscape of Asian context and upbringing.
The Vision: Global Scale
Having reached the milestone of customer validation, Yeshasvini is now focused on scaling Culturelytics globally. With projects already delivered in the UK and Australia, she is now eyeing the US market. For her, success is not just about the turnover but about how many jobs she can create—having already created close to 900 jobs through her companies—and the multiplier effect that has on society.
Culturelytics at a Glance
- Impact: Quantifying the culture of a $4.7 trillion M&A industry.
- Legacy: Founded by a serial entrepreneur with 20+ years of HR and incubation experience.
- Reach: Global presence with projects across India, UK, and Australia.
About the Guest
Yeshasvini Ramaswamy is a serial entrepreneur and the Founder of Culturelytics. With over 20 years of experience as a senior HR leader and a management consultant, she has founded four successful businesses and set up an incubation fund that created 2,000 direct jobs. Yeshasvini is a recognized thought leader in organizational culture and AI, and she is a passionate advocate for diversity and transparency in the global corporate landscape. She remains dedicated to solving the most complex puzzles of human behavior in business.
Culturelytics is the world's first AI-powered platform designed to measure organizational culture and link it to financial performance. By providing data-driven insights and a Culture Coherence Quotient, the platform helps leaders proactively manage cultural risks during M&A and digital transformation, ensuring that people and profits remain aligned.