know WHY you do what you do

Kimi Teo
Dec 26, 2016
3 min read

I got an inspiration while reading "Start With Why" by Simon Sinek. It is an amazing book and I recommend anybody to read it.

Simon Sinek emphasized for companies/people/products to be based on their WHY. WHY being the reason or belief for doing whatever you are doing. The same theory can be used for hiring process, leadership and advertising.

When you know your WHY of doing what you do, you will have a higher sense of purpose. You will do your work with a deeper sense of responsibility because there is deeper purpose.

When a company sell their products based on their belief, people tend to buy the product when it resonate with their own belief.

What does it mean ?

Simon Sinek listed examples such as :

1) The Wright brothers versus Samuel Pierpont Langley - how the Wright brothers won Langley in the invention of the first flying machine when Langley was well funded, with more resources and hired the best people. Whereas the Wrights brother were basically an unknown before their invention.

2) Apple Inc - Steve Job did not sell the iPod saying it is a portable music player, Steve Job sold iPod by selling the idea that consumers can now "carries thousands of music in their pocket".

Here are some more examples of of companies that are based on their WHY.

Timbuk2

Timbuk2 is a perfect example of what I meant.

Like what Timbuk2 wrote on their website, " It Was Never About Bags". Yet Timbuk2 is clearly a company selling bags. In fact everything they sell is about bags. What are they talking about it was never about bags?

Timbuk2 clearly understood the essence from "Start with Why" , whether they have read the book or not.

It was never about the bags that they are selling. Their bags are a by-product to get what they wanted consumers to experience, which is "improving life in the city" and to "enable freedom".

Being a Timbuk2 user myself, I have always felt that Timbuk2 bags are well thought out and compartments are well placed that I can conveniently reach for my items. The best of Timbuk2 was that you have the freedom to customize your own messenger bag and have it delivered to your home.

Razer

Every gamer knows Razer. Like their slogan "For Gamers, By Gamers". Razer produce high quality products and are made for gamers.

To an extend that they made a mouse designed only for left-handed gamer. One would wonders why they put a left handed mouse into production when there are already ambidextrous mouse (for both left and right hand) in a market for the minority of left handed gamer. Most left handed has also adapted to use their right hand for mouse.

Clearly, Razer wasn't thinking about profit when they make their mouse. This is because their WHY was to "meet the demanding needs of gamers like themselves".

Either that or they are doing for the fun of it.

Tesla

Tesla is disrupting the eco-system in the automobile industry. The potential in Tesla was seen by the market when stock's of Tesla surged above US$200 per share even before Tesla made any profits.

Tesla produces car, yet they has been making huge spending in energy research. More recently, Tesla has expanded their energy capability through the acquisition of SolarCity, a solar energy company which is providing solar energy for home uses.

One might be thinking why a car company is acquiring a company providing energy for home uses.

But for Tesla, car production is only a platform to achieve their WHY which is to "accelerate the world towards sustainable transport and energy".

Not every companies are based on their WHY.

However when a company does so, innovation can be achieved as they are more likely to think out of the box.

Companies which started with WHY are usually the front runners of innovation eg. Apple and Tesla. They are not restricted to WHAT their products are and are likely to look for alternative ways to improve the experience they are selling.

All in all, it is a good practice to always know your WHY in doing what you are doing.