A TED Talk by Simon Sinek addresses the reason why certain leaders can inspire action. Every single business and company knows exactly what they are selling, but very few understand why they are selling what they are selling, what their purpose or belief is or why their organization exits 1. What Sinek concludes is that the successful and innovative companies start with why. These companies understand and believe in the product or service they are providing and market it accordingly.
For example, why is Apple more innovative and successful than any other computer company? The answer is that they think and market their products in a completely different way than everyone else. Apple starts with why. They don’t just sell computers, they sell the reason they are making computers. They don’t sell what they do; they sell why they do it.
This simple concept, incorporated with the lean start-up strategy 2, could be a key factor in helping startup businesses succeed. Understanding how to market to consumers in a different way than all of the other competition in the industry, while shortening the product development process could give up and coming entrepreneurs a unique advantage that will set them apart from the competition.
1: Sinek, Simon. Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action. 2010. Video. TED Web. 16 Nov 2013.<http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.html>.
2: Blank, Steve. “Why the Lean Start-Up Changes Everything.” Harvard Business Review. N.p., May 2013. Web. 16 Nov. 2013. <http://hbr.org/2013/05/why-the-lean-start-up-changes-everything>.
Figure 1: http://www.inspireca.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Golden-Circle.jpg