Handshake, the groundbreaking platform created by Howie Liu, recently turned heads with an unexpected announcement of a big shift in its overall strategy. Their moniker for this extraordinary development is “refounding” moment. This decision comes as the company seeks to invigorate its startup culture while balancing its identity as an established business. The timing of this change is indicative of the company’s broader desire to manufacture urgency and gravitas in the face of its continuing fight for growth.
In a discussion with The New York Times, Liu underscored the importance of this change. He emphasized that it is not a new direction or an admission of past mistakes. He stated, “instead of just adding more A.I. capabilities to our existing platform, we treated this as a refounding moment for the company.” We hope this rebranding effort will help to better focus Handshake’s continued operations on the original vision and spirit that created it.
The company always planned to call this effort a relaunch or reboot at first, but reconsidered. Given the future at stake, they went with the language of founding. Liu noted that “the stakes feel the same” as when Handshake was first established, signaling a commitment to maintaining the entrepreneurial spirit that has defined its journey.
Of this new-found management control, Handshake is now mandating its employees return to the office full-time—with no exceptions. Katherine Kelly, Handshake’s chief marketing officer, explained that this decision is grounded in the need to “operate with a pace and number of hours that is meaningful and will help us hit goals.” The company is convinced that promoting a vibrant, creative, knowledge-based work setting will invigorate their workforce and stimulate creativity.
These announcements often link to new business models or the introduction of cutting-edge AI products, reflecting a broader trend in the tech industry. Even with the hoopla of Baywatch aside, Liu and Kelly’s larger point is about nurturing an entrepreneurial spirit inside a massive, sprawling organization. They’re doing a great job of injecting startup culture vibrancy into Handshake’s larger, more established business engine.
