Start with Why by Simon Sinek is an excellent book on how you can grow a business to the success that has been witnessed by Steve Jobs and others. Getting to know your Why will assist your brand to build royalty and when you have a loyal base your business will surely grow.
Simon Sinek also has one of the most watched TED Talks of all times on which he talks about the WHY and why it is essential. This ‘Start with Why’ summary will discuss the key takeaways from each of the chapters in his book.
Manipulation Vs. Inspiration – to be a true leader you should be able to inspire people. Inspiration and manipulation are the only way to alter human behavior, and both get results. With manipulation, however, you can increase sales but not loyalty. Loyal customers are those customers who will turn down other products even with low prices and buy your product.
These are the customers who do not bother with your competition because they believe in your brand. This occurs only when you inspire them with your WHY. When you give people your reasons and values, they become attached to your brand and become loyal.
Manipulation is being used every day, and people are used to it. It is done in terms of promotions, cut prices, fear and peer pressure amongst other tactics. According to Simon, the idea should be to inspire the customers for repeat business in the future.
The Golden Circle – this chapter is all about the golden circle that a concept that was designed by Simon. He describes that many companies and businesses start with the WHAT then the HOW, but very few of them know the WHY. Every company in the world know what they do that is they know the products or services they sell.
They also know how they do what they do, that is their unique selling proposition (USP). However, very few companies know WHY they do what they do. The WHY is never to make money? Making money becomes a byproduct of the WHY.
Simon uses Apple to describe a company that knows WHY they do what they do. Apple explains its business by describing their WHY “In everything that we do, we believe in challenging the status quo and thinking differently.”
They then describe the HOW “The way we do this is to design products that are beautifully designed and easy to use.” And finish with the WHAT “We just so happen to make great computers. Wanna buy one?”
This is Not Opinion: This is Biology – if a company wants to create loyalty then they must start by identifying their WHY. Starting by describing their WHY means that they are able to give the consumers a sense of belonging.
A feeling of belonging is innate in humans because when they feel they belong, they feel safe. When you share the same values and beliefs with your consumers, they become one with your brand. That is the only way to get loyalty.
Clarity, Discipline, and Consistency – finding the WHY, is only the first piece of the puzzle. A lot of work needs to be done to be able to inspire others with your WHY. First of all the why needs to be clearly defined. It should be easy for the consumer to understand and relate with.
The discipline of How – you need to have a lot of discipline to stay true to your WHY. To have discipline in your HOW you need to articulate your values in verbs. Verbs are actionable, and therefore you will always know what to do or what needs to be done to stay true to the WHY.
The consistency of WHAT – the WHAT is the result of the WHY and the HOW. It, therefore, needs to be consistent so that the people will know that you never skimp on your values. The differentiation in your business occurs only in the WHY and HOW you do it.
When you have a WHY and HOW that people relate with, they will become loyal to your brand even when the product or service is the same to other brands they cannot relate with.
The Emergence of Trust – to build trust in your brand, you need to have a balance between the WHY, HOW and WHAT. Trust doesn’t come when you have done certain things to give people an experience. It occurs when people get real value from your business. When they feel that you are doing whatever you are doing for a greater cause, then they trust you more.
How a Tipping Point Occurs – “The goal of business then, should not be to sell to anyone who wants what you have simply—the majority—but rather to find people who believe what you believe, the left side of the bell curve. They perceive greater value in what you do and will happily pay a premium or suffer some sort of inconvenience to be a part of your cause.
It is the percentage of people who share your beliefs and want to incorporate your ideas, your products, and your services into their own lives as WHATs to their own WHYs.” Once you have enough people on your side, the rest will be encouraged to follow, and tipping occurs.
Start with WHY but Know HOW – for you to really get your WHY to work, you need the people who know HOW. This partnership between the WHY and those who know HOW is what will change the world and grow a billion dollar business. Many people who know WHY are not doing anything about it and never get their ideas to work.
The New Competition – many businesses are out there competing with other business which makes them forget their WHY. Go to work every day looking to compete against yourself by being better today than you were yesterday. This means that you will keep focus of your why and produce a WHAT that your customers relate to.
What I Love About The Book
This book is very well written and so easy to grasp the concepts. It is detailed and contains examples from real life companies and businesses which have succeeded. The concepts expressed here are also very highly actionable and easy to borrow.
Why You Should Read The Book
This book is for you if you would like to determine why you do the things you do. It is more of a business book but with many concepts that can be applied for self-help. When you understand why then you will know how (the process) and what (the idea or product).
It is a great book for entrepreneurs, leaders in different positions, organizations and individuals that really need to understand their purpose.
