Founder Folklore: The Stories That Shape Category Defining Companies

Every category defining company starts with a story – one that attracts the right people, excites customers, earns the trust of investors, and sets the tone for everything that follows.

A compelling founding story isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s a strategic asset.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been exploring this idea from multiple angles. One of these angles was a discussion with Octopus co-founder, Chris Hulatt. Here, Chris reflects on the earliest days of building Octopus: the decisions, instincts and behaviours that shaped the culture long before it scaled – and the lessons every founder can apply today.

1. The Power of a Founder Story

Chris begins by taking us back to the formative experiences of building Octopus. The key takeaway for founders? Start defining your story now and let it become the compass for everything that follows.

2. The Small Decisions That Define a Company

Enduring companies don’t emerge from one big moment – they’re shaped by the accumulation of choices that feel insignificant at the time. In revisiting the early days of building Octopus, Chris highlights the fundamentals that mattered most: drive, determination, and distribution. But above all, belief – belief in the mission, belief in the product, and belief in yourself even when others don’t see it yet.

3. Scaling Through Experimentation

Scaling isn’t one giant leap – it’s the result of a hundred small experiments that build momentum.

In our third video, Chris reflects on how Octopus scaled: through iteration, testing what worked, doubling down on what didn’t break, and being brave enough to keep moving. Most scale stories sound linear in hindsight, but in reality, they’re a series of small wins that stack into something bigger.

4. Culture Is Built Long Before It’s Written Down

You can’t write down culture and hope it sticks. You build it – day in, day out. It’s a combination of the long days, the messy middle, the constant problem solving, and the shared sense of mission. When you’re surrounded by people who believe what you believe, the grind becomes momentum. And the hard work becomes fun.

5. The Mindset Every Founder Needs

The best founders don’t wait for change – they create it. Chris shares three traits founders need:

• Be bold. Push through the moments where people say it can’t be done.
• Challenge the status quo. Most people don’t believe meaningful change is possible – founders must prove that it is.
• Move fast. Momentum wins. Progress comes from making decisions at pace, even when the route isn’t perfectly mapped.

The founders who go the furthest are the ones who bet big, trust their instincts, and keep going long after others would stop.

6. Thinking Ahead

Great founders don’t just think about the company they’re building now – they think about the legacy they want to leave behind. In our final video, Chris encourages founders to ask themselves:

• Have you built something that genuinely makes a difference?
• Do people feel proud to be your customer?

The key takeaway for founders? The ones who look long term – who build with purpose, ambition and clarity – are the ones who reshape industries.

Our exploration into Founder Folklore and the stories that define companies has highlighted one key takeaway: Founder Folklore isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about helping the next generation of builders recognise the decisions, instincts and behaviours that will define their own companies. The actions founders take in the early days – the beliefs they hold, the pace at which they move, the experiments they run, the culture they build – become the stories their teams tell for years to come.

We hope Chris’ reflections spark clarity, conviction and creativity for founders shaping their own folklore. Because the stories you tell today will become the foundation of the business you build tomorrow.