Make Your Mark

Every great business starts with purpose. Define it, and the rest will follow.

1. Start With Purpose

Every business should focus on answering the fundamental question: "Why does this exist?" A clear purpose aligns actions and strategies, guiding the organization toward meaningful impact. Instead of concentrating solely on features or price, purpose-driven businesses identify specific problems they aim to solve for their customers, creating better value.

An example of this is Nike, whose products and services align with its purpose of inspiring people to achieve their athletic potential. This clarity of mission has ensured cohesion across their innovations and partnerships. Purpose isn't static; businesses must routinely evaluate if their actions reflect their mission by asking "why" at every growth step.

If you're considering developing a product or feature, think about its relevance to your purpose. For instance, adding a voice command feature to a kettle only makes sense if it serves a group, such as customers with physical challenges like arthritis.

Examples

• Nike’s ethos to "bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete" focuses all their efforts on empowering athletic success.
• Apple prioritizes enhancing the user experience over competing on price, stemming from its core purpose of innovation.
• Patagonia’s environmental mission drives customer loyalty through recycled materials and charitable initiatives.

2. Build a Flexible Structure

A rigid business model can stifle innovation and opportunity. Modern businesses thrive by embracing flexibility and responsiveness. A responsive operating system prioritizes risk-taking and learning from those risks to foster agility and adaptability.

Many successful companies, like Facebook and Airbnb, utilize lean and flexible systems to stay ahead. They experiment with new ideas, knowing some projects may fail but result in valuable lessons. Such companies favor small teams to encourage quick decision-making, dubbed the "two pizza rule."

Instead of building a rigid foundation full of bureaucracy or unnecessary resources, create a system that embraces experimentation. This allows you to pivot quickly and respond to market changes without being bogged down.

Examples

• Facebook’s adoption of small, reactive teams helped them evolve features like the newsfeed.
• Airbnb’s early success came from launching, testing, and adapting rapidly to customer demands.
• Dropbox introduced beta versions to small user groups and constantly tweaked their service based on feedback.

3. Focus on One Great Idea

Success doesn't require a plethora of products. Build one exceptional product that delights users and solves their problems. Concentrating your energy on perfecting a single idea ensures you avoid half-baked projects and create something truly valuable.

Bonobos built its success on one key innovation: well-fitting pants for men. Once their unique product garnered massive attention, they expanded their offerings. Streamlining their customer's journey—making the discovery and purchase process simple and seamless—was equally vital.

To win over potential customers, make your product’s value evident within seconds. Simplifying the user experience helps establish interest and urgency to buy.

Examples

• Bonobos focused on perfecting their product, leading to tremendous growth within the first year.
• The iPhone capitalized on its intuitive, singular design before branching out.
• Twitter succeeded early by narrowing its concept to bite-sized communication.

4. Grow Through Experimentation

No product is perfect from the outset. Great innovations emerge through trial, error, and feedback. Experimentation offers essential learning opportunities, helping businesses refine products or shift directions actively.

Google Glass emerged from countless iterations, with developers refining features based on real-world failures. Inventor Jane ni Dhulchaointigh’s development of Sugru involved extensive trials with users, who provided insights that shaped instructions and usability improvements.

Building a "minimum viable product" (MVP) allows early testing in the real world. Collect active feedback to refine and develop your idea into a successful product.

Examples

• Google Glass tested numerous prototypes to adapt to users’ needs.
• Sugru’s early feedback reshaped the marketing and instructions for better user understanding.
• Dropbox gained user feedback by rolling out test versions to improve the experience.

5. Build a Community of Supporters

Loyal customers can become brand advocates. Treat initial users like individuals, and give them access to unexpected benefits to foster loyalty and enthusiasm. Building relationships from the ground up can transform small audiences into larger communities.

Chris Guillebeau’s audience contributed $22,000 to his campaign purely because of his prior efforts to connect personally with followers. Similarly, Airbnb succeeded because its founders personally engaged their first hosts, listening and solving their concerns directly.

Going the extra mile for early adopters establishes a foundation of trust among your most loyal users.

Examples

• TED shares premium talks online for free, broadening their reach and earning viewer loyalty.
• Pamela Slim offers free "Ask Pam Anything" sessions to build stronger relationships with her audience.
• Airbnb personally welcomed early customers to cement trust and familiarity.

6. Tell a Relatable Story

Stories humanize brands and help customers connect emotionally. A compelling company story allows your audience to align their values with your mission, making them more likely to engage with your brand.

Patagonia thrives on its environmental commitment, attracting customers who want sustainability to be part of their purchases. Their authentic story positions them as more than just an outdoor apparel brand. Strong stories act as touchpoints that elevate brands beyond mere products.

To maintain a positive image, provide stellar customer care. In a world where online reviews carry significant weight, those little gestures can help counteract occasional setbacks.

Examples

• Patagonia’s "1% for the Planet" program connects their environmental ethos with customers.
• TOMS’s "One for One" campaign resonated with socially conscious consumers.
• LEGO draws parents and children alike by blending education, creativity, and nostalgia in their narrative.

7. Promote Transparency

Transparency creates trust and collaboration within teams. Companies like Buffer share every email and detail of their process to keep workers informed. By opening decision-making to scrutiny, disagreements reduce, and employees feel secure knowing everyone receives fair treatment.

Open salary models, for example, prevent resentment or secrecy. Furthermore, transparency encourages feedback and innovation by granting employees access to products and strategies for improvements.

Maintaining openness instills trust within teams and bolsters problem-solving together.

Examples

• Buffer’s open-book policy fosters trust within its employees.
• Stack Overflow’s transparency promotes collaborative feedback from its users.
• Open-source platforms like Linux encourage communal innovation.

8. Redefine Leadership as Service

Leadership isn’t about giving directives—it's about helping teams reach success. By dismantling misconceptions of "bossy" management, creative people may be more inclined to take on leadership roles.

Guiding a diverse team to achieve breakthrough results requires supporting their varied talents. Leaders at innovative companies focus on fostering communication and creating a shared vision to enable everyone to thrive.

Communicate goals with clarity and consistency. Tools like team forums or project records can document progress while encouraging ongoing discussions.

Examples

• Google’s leaders emphasize collaboration over hierarchy.
• Patagonia leaders focus on environmental sustainability while uniting employees’ passions.
• Morningstar empowers employees to self-manage while instilling decision-making skills.

9. Simplicity Wins Attention

Time is a scarce resource. When presenting your product or idea, remember that you only have a few seconds to capture someone's attention. Streamline complexities and deliver information clearly.

Apple’s design language epitomizes this; their minimalist-style product presentations make vital points stand out. Similarly, Bonobos used a clear value proposition for their pants, making it easy for customers to understand the product’s benefits.

Presenting features in simple, digestible ways is key to helping people focus on the core takeaway.

Examples

• Apple’s product demonstrations heighten user attention with simplicity.
• IKEA instruction manuals break down complex furniture installation step-by-step.
• Twitter’s 280-character limit distills communication into essential points.

Takeaways

1. Define your purpose clearly and constantly align your actions with it.
2. Start with one standout product and let customer insights guide its evolution.
3. Foster transparency and build a supportive community of employees and customers.