Some say startups are like new religions, and I wouldn’t disagree. Now this metaphor is a precarious proposition for the fact that there are so many ways one can interpret it. Here’s one way to look at it: Most mid-sized new ventures are famously obsessive about their own company culture, baptize new employees into this culture through inductions/bootcamps, and their company rituals and norms reinforce their dedication towards this religion. On the other hand, religions are, in some ways, like (social) ventures themselves. They start to bring a change into the world. Some grow across countries, some don’t. Some lasted the test of time and a massively changing external environment, while others failed and died out eventually. There have been hundreds of religious groups and movements throughout history, but only few survived over time and continue growing even now. Religion grows as a result of a religious movement; studying how these religious movements spread can give ideas o...