Start with Why by Simon Sinek

2021-01-12 2 min read Sincheenz

I definitely recommend the book for anyone feeling like they are getting nowhere in spite of doing so much. It helps you take a step back and redefine. Applying the golden circle rule (Why- the purpose or cause that drives you, How - the process or principle you apply to achieve Why, What - the product or services your offer) brings in a lot of clarity in business and personal choices. The golden circle diagram shows Why in the core, How in the middle circle and What in the outer circle.

The author emphasizes that people buy the Why and not the What. Hence it is very important to define the purpose or cause that drives you. Inspire people to buy your product,not through short term discounts and offers, but by advertising your purpose/vision. You need to inspire people and they should become loyalist. Your customers need to trust you.

For a successful business, there should be Clarity of Why - why you are doing what your doing; Disipline of How - how your actions align with your purpose; Consistency of What - what you do reflects on your purpose.

The author says that the decision making, emotional part of the brain aligns with the Why and How and the rational part aligns with the What. “People make decisions emotionally (driven by Why) and justify them logically (What)”

He then shows examples of companies like Apple that have found success by putting their “Why” at the forefront. Not sure if I can say that about Apple in 2021 – have you seen the new iPhone?

Interesting book. Gets you motivated.

However, while these principles are inspiring, it can feel a bit misleading at times, suggesting that if you just follow the Why, everything will fall into place. In reality, it is much more complex.Especially when trying to find product-market fit, the focus on Why might need to be flexible. You might have to move away from your own Why and adapt to your customer’s Why.Your vision might not immediately align with what customers need or value, so you might have to pivot your approach based on feedback. This means you might need to abandon certain aspects of your Why and redefine them.