Max Mullen looks for small, telling signs in founders, like worn-out white sneakers that show someone is truly hands-on with their work, and he built a specialty around company culture at Instacart, even creating his own PARE framework to turn values into everyday habits like scorecards, recognition programs, and physical reminders. He stays close to the ground himself, still occasionally shopping orders and carrying a shopper credit card, and he runs Workshop, a founder community in San Francisco, reflecting his hands-on approach to staying connected with the builders he invests in.