I read this article this morning about Facebook employees splitting off to start their own companies, and it really got me thinking.  Everyone talks about the PayPal mafia, the Google mafia, etc.  These consist of employees of these companies who built them together from the earliest formative stages through their lifecycles into large, successful, world-changing entities.

Once they get there, some of these early employees make the transition and stay on for many years at this bigger, much more established corporation.  Others branch off and do a whole host of really interesting things, from starting other companies to investing in other companies to running for political office, etc.  These former employees or mafia members share a very powerful common experience, and many have grown to trust each other’s capabilities, integrity, and ability to execute in a way that is incredibly hard to find.  As a result, many of these people come to work together and support each other’s subsequent ventures again and again in a variety of capacities.

There are all different metrics that can be used to define success.  Revenues, number of employees, low attrition rates, brand recognition, etc.  For me, one critical metric for success of the company we are building is simple: one day, I want there to be a RunKeeper mafia.