{"id":1987,"date":"2017-02-28T13:02:55","date_gmt":"2017-02-28T18:02:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/entrepreneurlaw\/?p=1987"},"modified":"2017-02-28T13:02:55","modified_gmt":"2017-02-28T18:02:55","slug":"focus-on-the-purpose-not-the-product","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/entrepreneurlaw\/2017\/02\/28\/focus-on-the-purpose-not-the-product\/","title":{"rendered":"Focus on the Purpose, not the Product"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here is a link to an interesting video<\/a> on \u201chow great leaders inspire action:\u201d<\/p>\n

In this TedTalk, Simon Sinek <\/a>argues that most companies operate by thinking about \u201cwhat\u201d they sell, to \u201chow\u201d they sell it, to \u201cwhy\u201d it matters to the customer. Sinek references law firms as operating in this traditional manner: First, a law firm says what they do (law), how they do it (with the best lawyers), and why they do it (to perform for clients).<\/p>\n

Sinek argues, however, that companies that follow this traditional path of operations do not reach their full potential. Instead, the most successful companies operate to the inverse of this \u201cGolden Circle,\u201d and first plan the broader \u201cwhy\u201d purpose of the company, then the \u201chow,\u201d then the \u201cwhat.\u201d<\/p>\n

To demonstrate this path in action, Sinek cites to Apple. Stepping into Apple\u2019s shoes, he states: \u201cWe believe in thinking differently. The way we challenge the status quo is by making our products beautifully designed, simple to use, and user friendly. We just happen to make great computers. Want to buy one?\u201d<\/p>\n

By reversing the order of information, and starting with the \u201cwhy\u201d rather than the \u201cwhat,\u201d companies are able to reach more success by solidifying its overarching purpose. When the \u201chow\u201d and the \u201cwhy\u201d are set in stone, the \u201cwhat\u201d\u2014the product\u2014comes easily. For example, because Apple has solidified its mission, it can make a range of technological products successfully. It doesn\u2019t matter whether Apple wants to sell computers, iPods, or headphones; all of their products are rooted in a broader purpose of simplicity and innovation, which appeals to the masses.<\/p>\n

The overall theme can perhaps be summed up in one of Sinek\u2019s lines: \u201cPeople don\u2019t buy what you do, they buy how you do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

His 18-minute TedTalk represents only a sliver of his work as a motivational speaker and marketing consultant. He launched a \u201cStart With Why\u201d<\/a> leadership campaign specifically centered around the idea that people can inspire action if they focus on the \u201cwhy.\u201d Interestingly, these types of talks and leadership programs suggest that there are some entrepreneurial traits that can be learned, which ties into our previous class discussions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here is a link to an interesting video on \u201chow great leaders inspire action:\u201d In this TedTalk, Simon Sinek argues that most companies operate by thinking about \u201cwhat\u201d they sell, to \u201chow\u201d they sell it, to \u201cwhy\u201d it matters to … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2340,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1987","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/entrepreneurlaw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1987","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/entrepreneurlaw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/entrepreneurlaw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/entrepreneurlaw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2340"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/entrepreneurlaw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1987"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/entrepreneurlaw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1987\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1988,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/entrepreneurlaw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1987\/revisions\/1988"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/entrepreneurlaw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1987"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/entrepreneurlaw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1987"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/entrepreneurlaw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1987"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}