C1 of 5

Culture

Reading and contributing to distributed company cultures – not just fitting in.

Score each statement honestly on a 1 to 5 scale. The anchor under each question ("What a 5 looks like") is the bar – take it as the definition of a 5, not a stretch goal.

Q1

When researching a company before applying, I dig into how they actually work as a distributed team – their public docs, async channels, engineering blog, public Slack – not just their careers page.

What a 5 looks like: Can name 3 sources I check before applying to any remote role.

Q2

I can articulate the difference between 'culture fit' and 'culture contribution' – and I can name what I'd contribute that a team currently lacks.

What a 5 looks like: Clear specific answer ready beyond personality traits.

Q3

When applying for remote roles, I tailor my tone and signals to each company's actual voice – not a generic 'professional' register.

What a 5 looks like: Rewrite cover letter for every application matching their public style.

Q4

I have a clear sense of the remote culture I'd thrive in (autonomy levels, communication norms, working hours) and I screen prospective employers against this.

What a 5 looks like: Have walked away from a role because culture didn't fit me, not vice versa.

Q5 ★

I can point to a specific moment where I demonstrated cultural contribution – something I brought to a team that they didn't have before me.

What a 5 looks like: STAR-format story ready, with measurable impact.