Kyndred Shows the Love

or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Trust the Team

When you’re building a new company, fighting the urge to criticize your competitors, especially ones who don’t even know you exist yet, can be tough. I’m of the opinion that you should make the case based on what you’re going to do, not what others are doing wrong. If you occasionally need to compare and contrast to emphasize a point, do it honestly and stick to the point. But mostly focus on yourself and let others do what they’re going to do.

I think that’s what I’ve done here, highlighting the ways Kyndred is going to work to make things better for artists, crew, and fans. I’ve also laid out the case for what Kyndred is going to deliver on the content side, again focusing on what I enjoy and what I’d like to see more of rather than picking apart work that didn’t resonate with me.

Something I haven’t gone too deeply into is what Kyndred will be like for the people building it alongside me. That’s right, I’m not in this alone. Not anymore, at least. In the short time since I brought this idea to life, I’ve already met with so many incredible people. Honestly, I wish there were more roles to offer because everyone I’ve met so far has been someone I could see working alongside and someone who would make Kyndred a better place.

That’s really what this is all about for me. I want to make Kyndred the best place it can be for everyone involved. I know we’re in an era of chasing 100x value, maximizing efficiency, sacrificing everything for the company, replacing humans with AI, or making the people who remain accomplish even more in less time. We’re told to always do what the CEO says without question and win at all costs, regardless of the toll it takes on everyone involved.

Don’t get me wrong, I want this company to be incredibly successful because that allows us to keep doing what we want to do. But I also want people to enjoy the work they’re doing. I think fulfilling work is vital to our well-being and sense of purpose. What I don’t believe is that work should become someone’s entire identity. A fully realized person has many sides to who they are, and they need to be able to nurture those sides if they’re going to be at their best in their careers.

What does that mean, exactly? It means supporting people every chance you get, listening to their ideas, giving them autonomy, and seeking their counsel before making decisions that will affect them. This is not a dictatorship, no matter how many sycophantic think pieces on LinkedIn say that’s how companies should be run.

It also means respecting their time. Giving them space during the day to nurture other parts of their lives, and not making them feel guilty for using the time you said they could have. Not reaching out in the middle of the night expecting an immediate reply. Giving them the freedom to get their work done in the way that makes sense for them, as long as they're delivering quality and hitting timelines. And not leaving them alone on an island without support when they need it.

When I bring someone onto the team, it’s not because I want them to simply do what I say. I could just get a bunch of AI agents if that were what I wanted. It’s because I believe they bring tremendous value, a unique skill set and point of view, and the ability to make everyone around them better, including me. I like to surround myself with people I believe are smarter and more creative than I am because I can learn from them and because they inspire me.

There are many things I see Kyndred doing, and they’re all rooted in ethics. Creative ownership? Ethics. Backend participation for crew? Ethics. Fans having a say in what gets made? Ethics. Bringing jobs to Los Angeles without limiting creative freedom? Ethics. Creating a better work environment on set? Ethics. Utilizing a human workforce and not letting people go in favor of AI? Ethics. Being profitable without being greedy? Ethics. Telling original stories that everyone is excited about? Entertainment. (Thought I was going to say Ethics again?) Look, entertainment has to be at the heart of everything we do as a company, but we can be good people while we do it. I believe that will create the most successful version of Kyndred.

What does this mean for you, the reader, exactly? It means that however you become involved with Kyndred, whether as a creator, fan, crew member, team member, investor, or partner, you’ll know that what you’re contributing to and supporting is built on respect. It’s about working together every day to build an ethical company that creates some of the best entertainment the world has to offer. It’s about feeling good about what you’re investing your efforts into for a change.

Stay tuned because we’ll be making a team announcement very soon, and we’re going to start releasing videos on social media so you can get to know the people behind the scenes. I can’t wait for you to meet everyone.

Thanks for your support!

-Lauer