The Realm of Low Expectations
February 20, 2026
As a startup investor, I've seen many careers develop over the last 20 years and one of the worst patterns I see is: low expectations.
Today, we’re talking about what really motivates people at work. Although it’s natural to assume compensation is the driver of motivation, the science tells us otherwise.
Here are the 3 things that actually motivate people:
Do people have control over their work, do they feel empowered to pursue their ideas along with a little freedom to make mistakes and take smart risks?
Are people improving? Are the challenges they face novel and do they improve their skill set?
Does the company acknowledge their contributions? Although this absolutely includes compensation, it also extends to other areas like internal praise and promotions.
Best of luck out there.
