how organisations are built, what actually runs them, and whether you could build one a stranger could run. but first: some rooms alex has actually sat in.
Alex K Babumentor · founder, Hedge Equities
day 1 · tuesday
the org chart is the map. the office is the territory.
the taxonomy · one line and we move on
functional, divisional, matrix exist. we won't dwell.
functional
divisional
matrix
the textbook shapes. what matters this week is the choice underneath them: flat, or pyramid. five real rooms, next.
room 1 · the US fried-chicken company
$5 billion. 1,000 outlets. 5 SKUs.
and roughly 25 people reporting to one man.
room 2 · dr alexander's hospital
flat, until scale broke it
the founder in every decision, until the day that stopped working. CXOs came in. the founder became the chairman.
room 3 · thyrocare
the same company, two structures, three prices
directional markers, not a price chart
room 4 · malabar gold
4,500 shareholders
a family business that stopped being run like one: systems, tracking, and a structure that doesn't need any single person in the room.
room 5 · the single owner
the instinct model
one owner, every thread in one head. the fastest structure on earth, right up to the day it isn't.
the point of the five rooms
no right or wrong structure. only fit.
the counterweight · byju's
but there is a wrong one: the structure that doesn't match your scale
the chart
the territory
the right panel is also the informal network, the real lines of who asks whom. at this scale, with a dozen unintegrated acquisitions, it stopped existing as a thing anyone could draw.
core 2 · decision rights, 1 of 4
RACI, the family-dinner version
core 2 · decision rights, 2 of 4
the corporate version
Rresponsibledoes the work. can be many hands.
Aaccountableanswers for it. exactly one name, ever. two accountables is zero.
Cconsultedasked before the decision. their input shapes it.
Iinformedtold after. not a vote, a courtesy.
decision rights in one question: for this decision, whose name is in the A box, and does everyone agree it's the same name?
core 2 · decision rights, 3 of 4
the test: who is closest to the information?
push the decision to the person nearest the facts: the branch head who knows the customer, the desk that watched the trade. keep accountability where the consequences live. the gap between those two is where escalation, and delay, is manufactured.
core 2 · decision rights, 4 of 4
the accountability gap
urban company: the manager is an algorithm. ratings assign, ratings punish, and no human owns the handoff. when the partners protested in 2024, the question underneath was this slide's: where does the organisation end?
lab a · the decision rights audit
chart versus who actually decides
warm-upaudit SOF firstthe organisation you're sitting in. draw its chart, then draw who actually decides. compare. nothing lands harder than the room.
the labthen your mission organisationthe same audit on the real organisation you'll map for mission 07. the gap between the two drawings is your finding.
PR-run · 3 hours · evaluated the same day. and at day close: mission 07 briefed.
day 2 · wednesday
culture is what happens when the boss isn't looking.
a real artefact · written five years ago, unchanged since
the hedge culture board
purposefinancial freedom for all
visionto be a financial supermarket
missionpartnering with clients to build, manage and grow their wealth
1
Beginner's Mindembrace a learning mindset, open to new ideas and perspectives.
2
Transparencyfoster open communication and honesty in all interactions.
3
Own the Mistakeacknowledge errors and take responsibility to learn and improve.
4
Interdependencyrecognize the value of collaboration and support among team members.
5
Go the Extra Mile for Helping Othersstrive to provide exceptional service and assistance to clients and colleagues.
6
Say "No"maintain boundaries and prioritize effectively to ensure focus on key goals.
7
Servant Leadershiplead by serving others, and putting their needs first to foster a supportive environment.
8
Process First, Progress Secondemphasize the importance of established processes as a foundation for growth.
9
Prioritizeidentify and focus on the most important tasks and objectives.
10
Punctualityrespect time commitments to build trust and reliability.
11
Master the Tradecommit to continuous learning and skill development in the financial industry.
12
Celebrate Small Winsrecognize and appreciate incremental achievements to motivate and inspire the team.
13
Encourage Objective Criticism, Not Subjectivepromote constructive feedback that focuses on facts rather than personal opinions.
14
Attitude of Gratitudecultivate a culture of appreciation and thankfulness within the team.
15
Belief in God Almightyacknowledge the role of faith in guiding core values and ethical actions.
four values he'll sit with
where the board stops being a poster
servant leadershiplead by serving others, putting their needs first to foster a supportive environment.
own the mistakeacknowledge errors and take responsibility to learn and improve.
say "no"maintain boundaries and prioritise effectively to keep focus on key goals.
process first, progress secondestablished processes are the foundation growth stands on.
the enforcement
top performers exit immediately on a proven ethical breach. no exceptions.
incentive design · 1 of 2
two instruments, two territories
the revenue multiplier
where the outcome is attributably yours: the advisory desk, the sales seat. the multiplier says: your number, your upside.
the process matrix
where outcomes lag or are shared: operations, compliance, research. the matrix pays for the process being followed, because the result arrives too late to steer by.
incentive design · 2 of 2
recognition and penalisation: the culture's teeth
recognitioncelebrate small wins, publicly and often. what gets applauded gets repeated. the board's value 12, running as machinery.
penalisationthe exit rule from the last slide. a culture is only as real as the most talented person it was willing to lose over it.
a value with no incentive attached is a hope. friday, you'll be asked for the mechanism, not the hope.
the sequence
internalisation before externalisation. manage the inside before you market the outside.
the change curve · what changing any of this feels like
the dip everyone forgets to plan for
day close
this afternoon: begin your blueprint
lab b isn't run in class. take the culture autopsy into your mission organisation instead: one unwritten rule, traced to its incentive, its behaviour, and its cost.
day 3 · thursday · live
the hedge cafe · live organisations, executed.
with Rehan Dominic.
after the recording
this afternoon: blueprint prep
one change, one page, no wishful thinking.
day 4 · friday · the blueprint
five minutes. alex on the panel. four asks.
1 · structureflat or pyramid, defendedagainst your scale today, and at 10×.
2 · culturethree enforced principlesplus one incentive mechanism that makes one of them real.
3 · the facethe internal-to-external linewhat must be true inside before you say it outside as brand.
4 · defencealex asks the questionsthe room learns from every answer.
the standard: could a stranger run your org from this page?
close and bridge
mission 07 submits wednesday, september 16
document or short video, on gravity. you can now read an organisation from the outside. next week, vishakha: the leader inside one. starting with who you are under pressure.
the school of future
