ZULU X HIRING GUIDE
This is not a handbook. It’s a compass.
This is not a handbook.
It’s a compass.
The Invitation
Philosopher: “They ask that question.”
Student: “What makes someone Zulu?”
You’re not here to fill a seat.
You’re here to build something only you could.
Zulu Group exists to create ventures, content,
and culture that shift society and serve the planet.
We don’t just invest—we co-create, pressure-test,
and tell stories that move people. We build the kind
of companies your grandchildren might thank you for.
This is not an easy path.
That’s why it matters.
What we believe
Zulu is built on contradiction.
We believe failure is likely—and we believe it can be avoided.
We believe in moonshots—and in spreadsheets.
We believe in humans—and use machines.
Our Principles
1. Pragmatism Is the Path
We reject binaries. Tech vs. philosophy? False.
Capital vs. cause? Limiting.
Zulu is where tension lives—and where balance is built.
2. Boldness Is Measured
We love moonshots. But we don’t confuse energy for direction.
When we built Butterfly, it started with a school run in the rain—not a pitch deck.
When we relaunched State, we used splash posters—not growth hacks.
3. People Before Process
We hire the human, not the CV.
Our first investor for State came from a conversation on a Eurostar, started by a founder’s mum.
Real people. Real timing.
4. Sweat the Story
Everything is storytelling—design, hiring, engineering, operations.
Becoming a Good Ancestor was recorded at home. Builders drilling. Dog barking. We left it in.
5. Time Is Precious
We move fast, but not loose.
Every hire, every feature, every message—either move the mission or move out of the way.
The Team
🐝 Alex
“My name means honey-maker.
That’s what good leadership does.
Not dominate. Sweeten. Bind. Feed the hive.”
🧭 Samira
“My role is to pathfind. Like in tennis, you don’t win by
reacting—you win by reading the rhythm, sensing the shift,
and placing the shot where the game is going, not where it’s been.”
🎨 Vibol
“I design things that feel like they already existed. Sometimes that
means adding nothing. Sometimes it means breaking everything.”
🕊️ Nadia
“I bring clarity to complexity. Good lawyering isn’t about saying
no—it’s about drawing the line to yes, with precision, protection,
and purpose.
📚 Olivia
“There’s always a book in my bag—and in Zulu, everyone’s writing
their chapter as we go. No one’s just reading from a manual.”
So…
What do
you actually
do?
Your work might look like:
Researching markets that don’t exist yet
Designing a name and brand system for a hardware prototype
Interviewing stakeholders, sourcing experts and surfacing insight to reorient a northstar
Writing investor memos, blog posts, or launch content
Sketching a wireframe in Figma to bring an idea to life
Tracking narrative momentum—not just clicks, but conversation
Converting a padel partner into a new sales lead for a portfolio company
And… crushing a spreadsheet, dancing through a legal doc and vibe coding
Sometimes you’ll be deep in Google Docs.
Sometimes you’ll be walking around Kensington Park Gardens thinking it through with the swans.
We don’t glorify busyness. We respect movement.
What you're
walking into
This isn’t corporate. This isn’t chaos.
Zulu sits somewhere in between.
You might find yourself:
Helping launch Glucowear, a non-invasive glucose monitoring product
Scaling State, a civic network powered by LLMs
Co-developing Butterfly, a shell-like vehicle for rainy urban school runs
Animating Zook, a digital character with a conscience
Regenerating the planet with Zulu Ecosystems—a venture rooted in soil, story,
and the slow, necessary work of healing the planet.
Publishing Becoming a Good Ancestor—live from a living room in London
The values
we walk
with
(Don’t read these. Watch what we do.)
Mission-Driven
We work on things worth remembering.
The world’s problems are ours to solve.
Why not now? Why now us?
Active
We build.
Sometimes we break things on purpose.
Intentional
Nothing is random.
Everything has rhythm—even risk.
Daring
We choose the cliff face no one else will.
Then we climb it—
With moral courage, purpose and proof.
The final
exchange
Student: “What if I don’t tick all the boxes?”
Philosopher: “Boxes are for storage. We’re looking for spark.”
Student: “What if I fail?”
Philosopher: “Then you’re in motion.”
Student: “What if I make it?”
Philosopher: “Then make it matter.”
The
Invitation
Philosopher: “They ask that question.”
Student: “What makes someone Zulu?”
You’re not here to fill a seat.
You’re here to build something only you could.
Zulu Group exists to create ventures, content,
and culture that shift society and serve the planet.
We don’t just invest—we co-create, pressure-test,
and tell stories that move people. We build the kind
of companies your grandchildren might thank you for.
This is not an easy path.
That’s why it matters.
What we
believe
Zulu is built on contradiction.
We believe failure is likely—and we believe
it can be avoided.
We believe in moonshots—and in spreadsheets.
We believe in humans—and use machines.
Our Principles
1. Pragmatism Is the Path
We reject binaries. Tech vs. philosophy? False.
Capital vs. cause? Limiting.
Zulu is where tension lives—and where balance is built.
2. Boldness Is Measured
We love moonshots. But we don’t confuse energy for direction.
When we built Butterfly, it started with a school run in the rain—not a pitch deck.
When we relaunched State, we used splash posters—not growth hacks.
3. People Before Process
We hire the human, not the CV.
Our first investor for State came from a conversation on a Eurostar, started by a founder’s mum.
Real people. Real timing.
4. Sweat the Story
Everything is storytelling—design, hiring, engineering, operations.
Becoming a Good Ancestor was recorded at home. Builders drilling. Dog barking. We left it in.
5. Time Is Precious
We move fast, but not loose.
Every hire, every feature, every message—either move the mission or move out of the way.
The Team
🐝 Alex
“My name means honey-maker.
That’s what good leadership does.
Not dominate. Sweeten. Bind. Feed the hive.”
🧭 Samira
“My role is to pathfind. Like in tennis, you don’t win by reacting—you win by reading the rhythm, sensing the shift, and placing the shot where the game is going, not where it’s been.”
🎨 Vibol
“I design things that feel like they already existed. Sometimes that means adding nothing.
Sometimes it means breaking everything.”
🕊️ Nadia
“I bring clarity to complexity. Good lawyering isn’t about saying no—it’s about drawing the line to yes, with precision, protection, and purpose.
📚 Olivia
“There’s always a book in my bag—and in Zulu, everyone’s writing their chapter as we go. No one’s just reading from a manual.”
So…
What do
you actually
do?
Your work might look like:
Researching markets that don’t exist yet
Designing a name and brand system for a hardware prototype
Interviewing stakeholders, sourcing experts and surfacing insight to reorient a northstar
Writing investor memos, blog posts, or launch content
Sketching a wireframe in Figma to bring an idea to life
Tracking narrative momentum—not just clicks, but conversation
Converting a padel partner into a new sales lead for a portfolio company
And… crushing a spreadsheet, dancing through a legal doc and vibe coding
Sometimes you’ll be deep in Google Docs.
Sometimes you’ll be walking around Kensington Park Gardens thinking it through with the swans.
We don’t glorify busyness. We respect movement.
What you're
walking into
This isn’t corporate. This isn’t chaos.
Zulu sits somewhere in between.
You might find yourself:
Helping launch Glucowear, a non-invasive glucose monitoring product
Scaling State, a civic network powered by LLMs
Co-developing Butterfly, a shell-like vehicle for rainy urban school runs
Animating Zook, a digital character with a conscience
Regenerating the planet with Zulu Ecosystems—a venture rooted in soil, story,
and the slow, necessary work of healing the planet.
Publishing Becoming a Good Ancestor—live from a living room in London
The values
we walk
with
(Don’t read these. Watch what we do.)
Mission-Driven
We work on things worth remembering.
The world’s problems are ours to solve.
Why not now? Why now us?
Active
We build.
Sometimes we break things on purpose.
Intentional
Nothing is random.
Everything has rhythm—even risk.
Daring
We choose the cliff face no one else will.
Then we climb it—
With moral courage, purpose and proof.
The final
exchange
Student: “What if I don’t tick all the boxes?”
Philosopher: “Boxes are for storage. We’re looking for spark.”
Student: “What if I fail?”
Philosopher: “Then you’re in motion.”
Student: “What if I make it?”
Philosopher: “Then make it matter.”
The Invitation
Philosopher: “They ask that question.”
Student: “What makes someone Zulu?”
You’re not here to fill a seat.
You’re here to build something only you could.
Zulu Group exists to create ventures, content,
and culture that shift society and serve the planet.
We don’t just invest—we co-create, pressure-test,
and tell stories that move people. We build the kind
of companies your grandchildren might thank you for.
This is not an easy path.
That’s why it matters.
What we believe
Zulu is built on contradiction.
We believe failure is likely—and we believe it can be avoided.
We believe in moonshots—and in spreadsheets.
We believe in humans—and use machines.
Our Principles
1. Pragmatism Is the Path
We reject binaries. Tech vs. philosophy? False.
Capital vs. cause? Limiting.
Zulu is where tension lives—and where balance is built.
2. Boldness Is Measured
We love moonshots. But we don’t confuse energy for direction.
When we built Butterfly, it started with a school run in the rain—not a pitch deck.
When we relaunched State, we used splash posters—not growth hacks.
3. People Before Process
We hire the human, not the CV.
Our first investor for State came from a conversation on a Eurostar, started by a founder’s mum.
Real people. Real timing.
4. Sweat the Story
Everything is storytelling—design, hiring, engineering, operations.
Becoming a Good Ancestor was recorded at home. Builders drilling. Dog barking. We left it in.
5. Time Is Precious
We move fast, but not loose.
Every hire, every feature, every message—either move the mission or move out of the way.
The Team
🐝 Alex
“My name means honey-maker.
That’s what good leadership does.
Not dominate. Sweeten. Bind. Feed the hive.”
🧭 Samira
“My role is to pathfind. Like in tennis, you don’t win by
reacting—you win by reading the rhythm, sensing the shift,
and placing the shot where the game is going, not where it’s been.”
🎨 Vibol
“I design things that feel like they already existed. Sometimes that
means adding nothing. Sometimes it means breaking everything.”
🕊️ Nadia
“I bring clarity to complexity. Good lawyering isn’t about saying
no—it’s about drawing the line to yes, with precision, protection,
and purpose.
📚 Olivia
“There’s always a book in my bag—and in Zulu, everyone’s writing
their chapter as we go. No one’s just reading from a manual.”
So…
What do
you actually
do?
Your work might look like:
Researching markets that don’t exist yet
Designing a name and brand system for a hardware prototype
Interviewing stakeholders, sourcing experts and surfacing insight to reorient a northstar
Writing investor memos, blog posts, or launch content
Sketching a wireframe in Figma to bring an idea to life
Tracking narrative momentum—not just clicks, but conversation
Converting a padel partner into a new sales lead for a portfolio company
And… crushing a spreadsheet, dancing through a legal doc and vibe coding
Sometimes you’ll be deep in Google Docs.
Sometimes you’ll be walking around Kensington Park Gardens thinking it through with the swans.
We don’t glorify busyness. We respect movement.
What you're
walking into
This isn’t corporate. This isn’t chaos.
Zulu sits somewhere in between.
You might find yourself:
Helping launch Glucowear, a non-invasive glucose monitoring product
Scaling State, a civic network powered by LLMs
Co-developing Butterfly, a shell-like vehicle for rainy urban school runs
Animating Zook, a digital character with a conscience
Regenerating the planet with Zulu Ecosystems—a venture rooted in soil, story,
and the slow, necessary work of healing the planet.
Publishing Becoming a Good Ancestor—live from a living room in London
The values
we walk
with
(Don’t read these. Watch what we do.)
Mission-Driven
We work on things worth remembering.
The world’s problems are ours to solve.
Why not now? Why now us?
Active
We build.
Sometimes we break things on purpose.
Intentional
Nothing is random.
Everything has rhythm—even risk.
Daring
We choose the cliff face no one else will.
Then we climb it—
With moral courage, purpose and proof.
The final
exchange
Student: “What if I don’t tick all the boxes?”
Philosopher: “Boxes are for storage. We’re looking for spark.”
Student: “What if I fail?”
Philosopher: “Then you’re in motion.”
Student: “What if I make it?”
Philosopher: “Then make it matter.”
Ready to build something
worth remembering?
Ready to build
something worth
remembering?
Ready to build something
worth remembering?
