What Recognition Really Means: Building Culture, Craft, and a Category in the Age of AI

Today, I’m excited to share that Lumos has been named to the Forbes America’s Best Startup Employers 2026 list.

Being named to these kinds of lists is a huge testament to what we’re building here at Lumos. It’s exciting and worth celebrating, but it’s also a moment to pause and reflect on why we’re on this list in the first place.

It comes down to the purposeful nature of our culture, which we set out to build since day one. We continue to thrive today because of the collective, intentional effort from every Alchemist to scale our culture just as much as we do every other part of the business as Lumos grows.

Culture is Our Compass

A startup can build great technology, but only with strong culture and the right team can you turn that technology into a business that creates lasting impact.

Since day one, we’ve been a story-led company. For us, stories aren’t just accounts of events. They’re operating principles for building the right culture and empowering a team to win. They help us make sense of complexity, unify around a shared narrative, and act with clarity.

This belief shaped The Anatomy of an Alchemist - our story of values and behaviors that guides everything we do here at Lumos.

It’s easy to write a set of values, anyone can do it, the hard part is figuring out how they actually show up in how we operate. Values need to shape how we design our systems, the rituals we practice, and the decisions we make when no one’s watching, and the standards we refuse to lower - that’s where culture lives. 

In the Age of AI, Culture Matters More Than Ever

We are building Lumos at a pivotal moment. I’ve seen firsthand how transformative this technology is, both for our customers and for ourselves. It’s not just a feature, it’s the core of what we build and how we operate. But here’s the thing I’ve come to believe more deeply over time:

AI accelerates execution, but culture determines direction.

You can use AI to ship faster.
You need culture to ship well.

At Lumos, our AI-native platform discovers, understands, and manages access across complex enterprise environments. But what makes that platform real isn’t just the technology, it’s the people who bring craftsmanship, curiosity, and care to every challenge.

Recognition is a Responsibility

Forbes and Statista evaluated thousands of startups using millions of data points. That’s noteworthy, because it reflects the experience of real people who choose to build here. They’re betting on Lumos to be the place where they do the best work of their careers, to build something meaningful, and to change their lives and the lives of their families.

That’s a responsibility I take seriously. I know we’re still in the early phases of company building. We have a lot to learn. There will be wins ahead, obstacles to overcome, and challenges along the way. I know that as a team, if we stay committed to traveling the road ahead with this culture as our compass, we’re on the right path.

What’s Next, And What I Hope You Take Away

To the Alchemists who show up every day with grit and heart - thank you. This belongs to you.

To people who find meaning in craft, care, and purpose, you belong here.

And to leaders building teams in the age of AI: Think beyond output. Think about why you’re building what you’re building, and who you’re building it with.

If our journey - our story - resonates with you, come join us.

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— Andrej