Kunal Shah's Unconventional Guide to Building an Elite Team
Kunal Shah, the founder of CRED and one of India's sharpest entrepreneurial minds, is known for his first-principles approach to business and life. In a deep-diving conversation, he unpacked the core philosophies that have shaped his success, from mastering the art of sales to building a high-performance culture. His central argument: success is not about intellect alone, but about a set of behaviors and values that enable continuous growth.
The Most Important Skill: Be 'Shameless' in Sales and Learning
Shah argues that the most critical, yet often neglected, skill for success in any field is sales—or the art of persuasion. He believes that true learning in sales comes from environments of constraint, where one is forced to persuade others to survive or succeed.
"Most people who are good at sales will be often called shameless people... If you get rid of that part that you are worried about what people will say, you will compound fastest."
This "shamelessness" is not about a lack of integrity, but a lack of fear. It's the ability to ask for help, seek feedback without getting defensive, and relentlessly pursue a goal, unburdened by the fear of rejection or judgment. This mindset, he suggests, is the foundation for all personal and professional growth.
The Four Core Values of CRED's Culture
How do you build a team of high-performers? Shah revealed the four core values that are the bedrock of CRED's hiring process, performance reviews, and daily operations.
- Earn Trust: This is the foundational value. It's about conducting oneself in a way that builds trust with every stakeholder, from team members and customers to partners and regulators.
- Being Right a Lot: Inspired by Amazon, this value is a proxy for good judgment. It's the ability to make sound decisions with incomplete data, a hallmark of effective leadership. It’s tested by asking candidates about contrarian decisions they made that turned out to be correct.
- High Agency: Shah distinguishes between two types of people: those who "happen to the universe" and those to whom "the universe happens." High-agency individuals are proactive problem-solvers who take initiative, bend circumstances to their will, and don't make excuses. They find a way to get from Point A to Point B, no matter the obstacles.
- Compounding: This is the innate drive to constantly learn, evolve, and improve. Compounding people are not static; they are always breaking old beliefs and acquiring new skills. A key sign is their reaction to new information—they lean in with curiosity rather than defending their existing beliefs.
Building a Culture of Feedback and Growth
For Shah, culture isn't a poster on the wall; it's "what you tolerate." To build a thriving organization, leaders must:
- Live the Values: Your behavior, not your words, sets the standard.
- Create Structures for Feedback: Hold dedicated feedback meetings where the only agenda is to listen without defense.
- Encourage Questions: A culture of creative confidence is one where even an intern can ask "why" and challenge the status quo without fear.
He warns against the modern trap of passive learning—consuming endless content without applying it. "That just creates an illusion of wisdom," he says. True growth comes from applying knowledge, making mistakes, and seeking constant feedback to improve.
中文翻译 (Chinese Translation)
Kunal Shah的战术手册：CRED用于招聘“无所畏惧”高能动性人才的四大价值观
CRED创始人Kunal Shah揭示了他非传统的成功原则。了解定义CRED文化的四大核心价值观——赢得信任、高判断力、高能动性和复利增长——以及为什么他相信最成功的人在追求成长时是“无所畏惧的”。
Kunal Shah构建精英团队的非传统指南
Kunal Shah，CRED的创始人，也是印度最敏锐的创业思想家之一，以其对商业和生活的第一性原理方法而闻名。在一次深度对话中，他剖析了塑造他成功的核心哲学，从掌握销售艺术到建立高绩效文化。他的核心论点是：成功不仅仅关乎智力，更关乎一套能够实现持续成长的行为和价值观。
最重要的技能：在销售和学习中“无所畏惧”
Shah认为，任何领域成功最关键但又常被忽视的技能是销售——即说服的艺术。他相信，真正的销售学习来自于受限的环境，在那里，人被迫说服他人以求生存或成功。
“大多数擅长销售的人通常被称为‘无耻’的人……如果你能摆脱那种担心别人看法的包袱，你的成长速度将是最快的。”
这种“无所畏惧”（Shamelessness）并非指缺乏正直，而是指没有恐惧。它是一种能够寻求帮助、接受反馈而不防备、并因不受拒绝或评判的恐惧束缚而执着追求目标的能力。他认为，这种心态是所有个人和职业成长的基础。
CRED文化的四大核心价值观
如何打造一支高绩效团队？Shah揭示了构成CRED招聘流程、绩效评估和日常运营基石的四大核心价值观。
- 赢得信任 (Earn Trust): 这是基础价值观。它关乎以一种能在所有利益相关者（从团队成员、客户到合作伙伴和监管机构）中建立信任的方式行事。
- 高判断力 (Being Right a Lot): 受亚马逊启发，这个价值观是良好判断力的代名词。它是在信息不完整的情况下做出明智决策的能力，是有效领导力的标志。通过询问候选人他们曾做出的、最终被证明是正确的逆向决策来对此进行检验。
- 高能动性 (High Agency): Shah区分了两种人：一种是“改变世界的人”，另一种是“被世界改变的人”。高能动性的个体是积极主动的问题解决者，他们主动出击，按自己的意愿扭转局面，从不找借口。无论障碍如何，他们总能找到从A点到B点的方法。
- 复利增长 (Compounding): 这是一种不断学习、进化和改进的内在驱动力。具备复利思维的人不是静止的；他们总是在打破旧观念，获取新技能。一个关键标志是他们对新信息的反应——他们会带着好奇心去探究，而不是捍卫自己现有的信念。
建立反馈与成长的文化
对于Shah来说，文化不是墙上的海报，而是**“你所容忍的东西”**。要建立一个蓬勃发展的组织，领导者必须：
- 践行价值观：你的行为，而非言语，才是标准。
- 建立反馈机制：定期举行专门的反馈会议，唯一的议程就是倾听，不作辩护。
- 鼓励提问：一个充满创造性自信的文化，是即使一个实习生也能毫无畏惧地提出“为什么”并挑战现状的文化。
他警告要警惕被动学习的现代陷阱——消费无尽的内容却没有应用。“那只会制造一种智慧的幻觉，”他说。真正的成长来自于应用知识、犯错并寻求持续的反馈以求改进。