Mate’s approach to nurturing entrepreneurship offers more than just an opportunity for growth—it redefines the traditional workplace by empowering employees to act as innovators and leaders. Through open-ended support, autonomy, and a culture that values learning from failure, Mate aligns its goals with the personal ambitions of its employees. This article goes in line with the The Future of Leadership: Creating Communities Over Command.
This environment creates a dynamic loop: employees are motivated to test their ideas, the company stays responsive to market needs, and the culture attracts talent eager for real responsibility and creative freedom.
In prioritizing people and ideas, Mate not only strengthens its brand but also sets an example of how modern companies can thrive by fostering genuine, purpose-driven innovation.
How and Why Mate Fosters Entrepreneurship Among Its Employees
At Mate, any employee can propose ideas for expanding the business or launching a new direction. They’re offered educational, mentorship, and financial support to test their project, and if it succeeds, they receive a share of the profits. Here’s why investing in employee entrepreneurship makes sense for the company.
Read our article: How Tailored HR Services Helping to Increase Organisational Efficiency
Read our article: How Tailored HR Services Helping to Increase Organisational Efficiency
What is Internal Entrepreneurship?
Internal entrepreneurship is when a company encourages employees to bring forth new ideas and supports their execution. For example, Google allows its developers to spend up to 20% of their time on side projects. This policy led to Gmail’s development when Paul Buchheit, a Google engineer, created it while still handling his core duties.
This entrepreneurial approach can:
- Keep the company competitive,
- Help adapt to rapidly changing markets,
- Discover new ways to address customer needs.
Companies often use tools like idea banks, incubators, corporate venture funds, and hackathons to spark internal entrepreneurship. However, Mate goes further by embedding an entrepreneurial culture within its management system, creating an environment where employees can execute their ideas without constraints.
Supporting Entrepreneurial Potential: Insights
Olga, Mate’s head of entrepreneurship and innovation, notes that many employees dream of starting their own businesses but stay in steady jobs for stability. Mate seeks to nurture this entrepreneurial potential because it benefits the customer, the company, and the employee. Mate has no fixed criteria for what makes someone an entrepreneur. Instead, the focus is on supporting people who want to test new ideas and work on improvements. They’ve structured the process so that employees receive direct customer feedback on their ideas, and viable ideas are tested without the bottlenecks that often slow down corporate innovation.
Client-Centered Leadership and Entrepreneurial Spirit
Mate’s management philosophy is “clientocracy,” which centers on promises made to customers. Every new product, service, or business change exists for the end customer. Experimentation and autonomy are core to this philosophy, creating an atmosphere where entrepreneurship can flourish.
Experimentation in Action
At Mate, changes are tested incrementally. The first self-service, 24-hour store was launched after a team member got the idea during a business trip to Korea. Within three weeks, the concept was tested in a single store, and now over 30 stores are open around the clock. The experiment's success led to the creation of QR code-based entry for night access—a quick pivot based on customer feedback.
Independence in Problem-Solving
Mate doesn’t tell employees how to execute ideas. Leaders focus on outlining goals rather than specific steps, giving teams the freedom to decide how to achieve results. This autonomy nurtures entrepreneurial thinking and allows employees to devise creative, efficient solutions to company challenges.
Why “Clientocracy” Matters Strategically
Mate’s concept of clientocracy, which puts customer needs at the heart of all initiatives, doesn’t only guide projects—it strategically positions the company to stay relevant in a shifting market. This customer-centered culture means that innovations and changes reflect real demand, which, in turn, secures Mate’s market adaptability and resilience. In a clientocracy, every employee understands that their work directly impacts customer satisfaction and business success, which aligns the team and strengthens their commitment to innovation.
The Power of Low-Barrier Innovation
One of the standout elements of Mate’s approach is its openness to ideas from all employees, regardless of position or experience. This policy doesn’t just encourage innovation; it democratizes it. By creating a low barrier to entry, Mate taps into a wider range of perspectives and talents, uncovering potential in employees who might otherwise stay under the radar. For Mate, this means a richer flow of ideas and a workforce that’s more deeply invested in the company’s future.
Fostering a Culture of Strategic Learning through Failure
Mate’s open approach to failures turns potential setbacks into learning moments that benefit the company as a whole. Failed experiments become part of an internal knowledge base, teaching what does and doesn’t work in real-world settings. This approach to failure fosters a growth mindset among employees, helping them see setbacks as stepping stones rather than dead ends. By celebrating these learning moments, Mate creates a culture of resilience and continuous improvement, which is foundational for long-term success.
Education, Resources, and Financial Support
Mate welcomes ideas from all employees regardless of their position or experience. Entrepreneurial proposals might involve new products, services, or customer segments, while optimization projects focus on improving internal processes or reducing losses. Ideas only need to align with Mate’s values, be customer-centered, economically viable, and scalable.
Employees are guided through the entrepreneurial process by mentors known as trackers, who help them set goals, complete training tasks, and navigate challenges. The company provides resources, including up to $2,500 for initial project testing, covering equipment, developer services, and consulting. If additional funds are needed, the idea’s owner must present it to the Management Council to prove its potential.
Developing Leaders, Not Just Entrepreneurs
Through mentorship, “trackers,” and comprehensive project support, Mate doesn’t only nurture entrepreneurial skills—it develops future leaders. Employees involved in these projects gain hands-on experience in project management, strategic planning, and customer analysis, all key skills for leadership roles. By fostering an internal pipeline of trained, adaptable leaders, Mate is building a foundation for sustained growth and a stronger company future.
Agile Innovation and Market Testing
Mate’s commitment to rapid, real-world testing creates a “fail fast, learn faster” environment that accelerates product refinement and improvement. With customer feedback integrated into each phase, Mate’s approach allows for quick adjustments and a dynamic development cycle. This agility is a core strength, enabling Mate to stay responsive and to bring customer-validated products to market faster than competitors, keeping them ahead in a fast-paced industry.
Entrepreneurial Benefits and Failures
Mate rewards successful projects with significant financial incentives. For example, entrepreneurial projects generate 3-5% of profits until the investment is recouped, after which employees receive up to 20%. Optimization projects bring one-time bonuses based on the financial impact of the improvement.
But what about failures? Mate embraces them, treating failed experiments as valuable learning experiences. Employees who carry a project through, even if it doesn’t succeed, receive a bonus equal to a month’s salary. This approach reduces fear of failure, encouraging employees to keep testing new ideas.
Lessons from Real Entrepreneurs Inside Mate
The following are real stories from Mate employees who used the company’s support system to create projects that grew into independent business units.
Vendings: A Vision That Adapted
Elektro, a merchandiser at Mate, initially wanted to place juice vending machines in airports. When high rental costs made this unfeasible, she pivoted to deploying machines in shopping malls and office spaces instead. By late 2023, Mate had installed 484 vending machines, creating a network of high-traffic locations that catered to customers seeking quick, healthy snacks. Recently, Elektro launched an online delivery service for exotic products, continuing to explore new ideas alongside her primary role.
Ready-to-Eat Service “On the Go”: A Post-Pandemic Success
Sergey Pavlov joined Mate in 2018, and after two years as a product manager, he launched Mate’s “On the Go” hot food delivery service, addressing the post-COVID rise in demand for fresh, ready-to-eat food. Starting with a single food truck in London, the service quickly grew into a large-scale delivery network with over 120 kitchens in 30 cities. By the end of 2023, “On the Go” had generated 1.8 billion rubles in revenue.
Cultural and Market Positioning
By building a culture that prioritizes employee ideas and entrepreneurial growth, Mate distinguishes itself as a forward-thinking, employee-centered brand. This commitment to innovation not only enhances Mate’s appeal to customers but also attracts motivated talent eager to work in a place that values their creativity and initiative. In an increasingly competitive job market, this unique culture positions Mate as a company where people want to grow and contribute, enhancing its reputation and talent pool.
Partnerships and Innovation Lab: Expanding Entrepreneurship Beyond Employees
Mate’s Innovation Lab works with external startups and industry experts to pilot new technologies and solutions. For example, GREEN SPACE’s hydroponic modules, developed in partnership with the lab, extend the freshness of herbs and reduce waste. First tested in a single store, the modules are now deployed in 20 locations, tripling herb sales and reducing spoilage by 300%.
Why Mate Cultivates an Entrepreneurial Culture
Mate believes entrepreneurship isn’t just about making money—it’s about people who live by ideas and want to make a difference. This philosophy drives their continuous push for innovation.
The story of Zhang Ruimin, CEO of Haier, illustrates how transformational entrepreneurship can be. By smashing a defective batch of refrigerators, he redefined quality standards for the entire industry.
Similarly, Dutch entrepreneur Jos de Blok revolutionized healthcare by founding Buurtzorg, a self-managed nursing organization that turned traditional healthcare delivery on its head.
I also recommend you to read related articles about company culture and its importance in modern business community:
Building Corporate Culture: Beyond Buzzwords to Business Value
How to Attract, Hire, and Retain Top Talent: Clear Steps for Long-Term Success
From Startup to Unicorn: How Corporate Culture and Talent Acquisition Evolve Together
The story of Zhang Ruimin, CEO of Haier, illustrates how transformational entrepreneurship can be. By smashing a defective batch of refrigerators, he redefined quality standards for the entire industry.
Similarly, Dutch entrepreneur Jos de Blok revolutionized healthcare by founding Buurtzorg, a self-managed nursing organization that turned traditional healthcare delivery on its head.
I also recommend you to read related articles about company culture and its importance in modern business community:
Building Corporate Culture: Beyond Buzzwords to Business Value
How to Attract, Hire, and Retain Top Talent: Clear Steps for Long-Term Success
From Startup to Unicorn: How Corporate Culture and Talent Acquisition Evolve Together
UnitiQ: On-Demand HR Solutions for Scalable, Value-Driven Growth
UnitiQ offers flexible, on-demand HR solutions that align with the principles of employee-driven growth and client-centered service seen in innovative companies like Mate. By providing immediate access to HR expertise, UnitiQ empowers businesses to handle talent acquisition, HR operations, and strategic people management without the need for a full-time hire.
This fractional HR model allows companies to scale their workforce needs with efficiency, adding specific expertise as required. UnitiQ’s approach supports companies that prioritize a value-based culture, helping them to build teams aligned with their core principles and goals.
With services like single-point-of-contact support and a pool of sector-specific HR experts, UnitiQ ensures a seamless integration into existing company structures, enhancing overall business adaptability and fostering a culture that values strategic and agile solutions.
We are happy to help you with Talent Acquisition and HR tasks, please contact me, Olga Fedoseeva, Founder at UnitiQ, directly:
My Telegram
My LinkedIn