Follow the Golden Rule

Do unto others As you’d have them do unto you. This is the single principle underlying everything we do. Every detail of our experiences, resources, legal agreements, internal communications, and value created from our platform is derived from human beings making sound decisions for themselves that may positively affect other people.

On Golden, we have an understanding that everyone would rather things be better than worse. Therefor, we hope you’ll make those kinds of choices. If you do, you’ll experience wonderful benefits. If you don’t, you’ll no longer be Golden. You can trust that everyone on Golden holds this belief in common.

For best results, speak like we do.

To strike the right tone:

  • Write as if you’re the cool kid chatting with friends at the lunch table, instead of crafting a message to the world.
  • Be clever, yet friendly; playful, yet approachable; confident, yet understated.
  • Consider whether an intelligent, irreverent, and admired high school senior would say it.
  • If so, capture the language and delivery exactly. If not, neither would Golden.
  • Be neither inclusive or exclusive; just be genuine, clear, intriguing, and subtly suggestive.
  • As a device, ask a question to encourage your audience to say, “Yes,” and agree with your idea.
  • Assume your audience found you on Golden by circumstance.
  • Smile back; say something charming; and allure your audience to discover more.

Sam Fankuchen

Sam Fankuchen

Prior to Golden, Sam worked in corporate innovation at Penske and as Managing Director of Applico, where he helped Google, HP, Disney and others launch new platform businesses.

Before that, he founded Pinwheel, which became the most comprehensive database of volunteer jobs open to anyone in San Francisco, and a peer counseling program that has served thousands of high school students.

Sam serves on the Board of Directors for the United Nations Volunteer Groups Alliance, as Technology Editor of the Engage Journal, and Executive Judge of the Webby and Anthem Awards, in addition to his involvement with the Gates Foundation’s Greater Giving Summit and Giving Tuesday’s thought leadership committees on AI, Corporate Giving, and Volunteering.

Sam received MA & BA degrees from Stanford, where he studied Social Entrepreneurship, Organizational Behavior, and Design Thinking.


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