For me, the turning point was learning to measure opportunities against a single question: Does this move me closer to the clients and conversations I actually want? Once I started filtering through that lens, it became easier to let go of things that were flattering but distracting.
Have you found that saying no gets easier with practice, or does each decision still feel like a wrestle?
It's easy to forget that you're central to your own & your startups flywheel - do those simple things, that only you and your startup does again and again and again - particularly if those rituals bring you closer to the perfect customer profiles 🧡
Thanks for such a great post. Made me really think about the myths that I attach to certain brands as well. For example, I am sure it is this reason (and not taste alone) that causes me to pick Ben & Jerry's over Häagen-Dazs every time. 🙏
For the last 25 years or so, it's been the choice between General Mills (Haagen Dazs) and Unilever (Ben & Jerry).
Which, conveniently, is a case in point. Given that Ben & Jerry is run by Unilever execs, I wouldn't necessarily count on the company sustaining the strong vibes from the early days. Especially that, when Ben & Jerry was independent, the activism vibes were largely driven by Ben Cohen himself.
While he was the main force behind the early years (and it shows when you read Inside the Scoop), it had to change after the acquisition. Simply because he had a very different leverage.
The statistic that 68% of buyers pay more for brands they believe in...and are four times more forgiving...underscores how belief translates into tangible value.
I've had a front row seat to watch people running an extra mile because they believe what an organization does. I've seen how far some are willing to go, and how little change is needed to get most disillusioned.
Sure, neither of those was at the scale of Patagonia, or Tesla, or Apple. On the other hand, it gave me an opportunity to look at individual motivations every time something shifted.
What strikes me is how often we fall for aspirational, yet largely marketing, messages.
Google's "do no evil" was still largely on display when they got involved in censorship deals with the Chinese government. Do no evil? Do no evil my arse.
Tesla's hustle culture tells us way more about Elon Musk's attitude toward his company's employees than about Tesla's lofty goals. What's a better summary than a quote from a source linked in the article:
"An investigation found that Tesla’s Fremont, California, plant had three times as many Occupational Safety and Health Administration safety violations as 10 other US car factories combined."
Also, his actions after taking over Twitter speak volumes about how much of it is the grand vision (free speech) and how much is cold business calculation (not even going down the ego-driven self-promotion path).
And let's not even start a discussion about luxury brands (and their practices) that prey on people wanting to show off (Supreme, anyone?).
There are sparingly few organizations that stay true to their mission, even when customers don't scrutinize them (and they rarely do). One that stands out to me on the list is Patagonia. It was Ben & Jerry, too, but it's hard to tell how they have changed over the past 25 years since the acquisition.
Was it a piece about hypocrisy that uses great marketing to cover for their actual business goals, most of the examples would still be fitting.
So yes, the belief and the cult do matter, but they're often misaligned with actual behaviors throughout an organization.
History is littered with bad intentions behind the veil of good values. Whether started bad or corrupted. But let's not get into politics! Some Great examples you've shared - thanks for sharing your experience and wisdom 🌞
Belief has always been one of the strongest attractors. Brands who thrive build more than just logistics and delivery, but also emotion and belonging. I feel like that's all the more important now, when the non-emotional things can be very easily automated and can lack that human touch. My favourite brand right now is Nothing, I'm really enamored by how they approach their community, it's very human.
For me, the turning point was learning to measure opportunities against a single question: Does this move me closer to the clients and conversations I actually want? Once I started filtering through that lens, it became easier to let go of things that were flattering but distracting.
Have you found that saying no gets easier with practice, or does each decision still feel like a wrestle?
It's easy to forget that you're central to your own & your startups flywheel - do those simple things, that only you and your startup does again and again and again - particularly if those rituals bring you closer to the perfect customer profiles 🧡
Thanks for such a great post. Made me really think about the myths that I attach to certain brands as well. For example, I am sure it is this reason (and not taste alone) that causes me to pick Ben & Jerry's over Häagen-Dazs every time. 🙏
For the last 25 years or so, it's been the choice between General Mills (Haagen Dazs) and Unilever (Ben & Jerry).
Which, conveniently, is a case in point. Given that Ben & Jerry is run by Unilever execs, I wouldn't necessarily count on the company sustaining the strong vibes from the early days. Especially that, when Ben & Jerry was independent, the activism vibes were largely driven by Ben Cohen himself.
While he was the main force behind the early years (and it shows when you read Inside the Scoop), it had to change after the acquisition. Simply because he had a very different leverage.
Great reframe. It's a powerful reminder that the ultimate moat isn't technology, but belief.
The statistic that 68% of buyers pay more for brands they believe in...and are four times more forgiving...underscores how belief translates into tangible value.
Interesting stats
I've had a front row seat to watch people running an extra mile because they believe what an organization does. I've seen how far some are willing to go, and how little change is needed to get most disillusioned.
Sure, neither of those was at the scale of Patagonia, or Tesla, or Apple. On the other hand, it gave me an opportunity to look at individual motivations every time something shifted.
What strikes me is how often we fall for aspirational, yet largely marketing, messages.
Google's "do no evil" was still largely on display when they got involved in censorship deals with the Chinese government. Do no evil? Do no evil my arse.
Tesla's hustle culture tells us way more about Elon Musk's attitude toward his company's employees than about Tesla's lofty goals. What's a better summary than a quote from a source linked in the article:
"An investigation found that Tesla’s Fremont, California, plant had three times as many Occupational Safety and Health Administration safety violations as 10 other US car factories combined."
Also, his actions after taking over Twitter speak volumes about how much of it is the grand vision (free speech) and how much is cold business calculation (not even going down the ego-driven self-promotion path).
And let's not even start a discussion about luxury brands (and their practices) that prey on people wanting to show off (Supreme, anyone?).
There are sparingly few organizations that stay true to their mission, even when customers don't scrutinize them (and they rarely do). One that stands out to me on the list is Patagonia. It was Ben & Jerry, too, but it's hard to tell how they have changed over the past 25 years since the acquisition.
Was it a piece about hypocrisy that uses great marketing to cover for their actual business goals, most of the examples would still be fitting.
So yes, the belief and the cult do matter, but they're often misaligned with actual behaviors throughout an organization.
History is littered with bad intentions behind the veil of good values. Whether started bad or corrupted. But let's not get into politics! Some Great examples you've shared - thanks for sharing your experience and wisdom 🌞
Belief has always been one of the strongest attractors. Brands who thrive build more than just logistics and delivery, but also emotion and belonging. I feel like that's all the more important now, when the non-emotional things can be very easily automated and can lack that human touch. My favourite brand right now is Nothing, I'm really enamored by how they approach their community, it's very human.
My middle son has a "nothing" phone 🤳 ! He loves it