Culture is not Enough: Evergreens Need Strategy to Survive and Thrive

Culture is not Enough: Evergreens Need Strategy to Survive and Thrive

Jeff Patterson is the CEO and founder of Gaggle, an EdTech software company that exists to protect students in schools. As a company founder, he has fought hard to create and build Gaggle, and along with it an entire industry, and he has remained committed to the Evergreen® path throughout. However, as committed as he is to the Evergreen 7Ps® principles, he has had a nagging feeling for years that he needs more than a wonderful culture to survive for the long term. 

In this Tugboat Institute® talk, Jeff shares his own journey toward creating a meaningful and effective strategy for Gaggle. After searching in vain for the “right” strategy, he embarked on his own learning journey, reading many books and talking with many leaders about the ingredients of an effective strategy. Here, he shares his learnings and explains why, in his eyes, culture is important, but without a strong strategy, it’s not enough.

Watch and be inspired to dig deeper in your efforts to create a strategy that is just right for your company.

More Articles and Videos

Keim Image

Lessons From Our $2 Million Tuition

  • Jim Smucker
  • The Keim Company
June 10, 2025

A Family Legacy, An ESOP Future

  • Shawn Burcham
  • PFSbrands
June 03, 2025
Michael Horn on stage

Why Employees Quit and How to Use Evergreen® Principles to Keep Them

  • Michael Horn
  • Clayton Christensen Center for Disruptive Innovation
May 27, 2025
PJWS team

The Data + Human-Centric Approach that Dramatically Improved Retention for P.J. Wallbank Springs, Inc.

  • Chris Wallbank
  • P.J. Wallbank Springs
May 20, 2025