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Companies live & die based on their story.The story is what converts believers ((customers, employees, investors, etc.)
And the best stories explain who you are in a way that's inspiring & memorable.
I've collected a bunch of these, here are a few of my favorites:
Netflix - Reed Hastings famously got the idea for Netflix when he got a $40 late fee for Apollo 13. It turns out this story isn't actually true - but w/ 1 sentence it tells you everything: the old guys are bullies, late fees are the old way, we'll treat you right.
Lawn Love - a marketplace to match lawn care providers w/ customers. How could this be an interesting story? The founder Jeremy Yamaguchi sets it up perfectly with "Lawn pros were this last bastion of pens and paper." Then he uses the context of building the American Dream.
Lambda School (duh) - no tuition until you get a job. An entire worldview & philosophy in 7 words. How could someone not be inspired by such a vision?
(These are two students in their home offices...)
(These are two students in their home offices...)
http://Enjoy.com - Ron Johnson of Apple Store & Target fame created the "mobile retail store" - an expert goes to your home to setup your new phone/gadget
This could be commoditized "home tech support" – but he sells it as something much bigger: creating kindness & joy
This could be commoditized "home tech support" – but he sells it as something much bigger: creating kindness & joy
@abexlumberg asks Ron in an interview “why build a company on kindness?” Feasible answers include "customers like it" or "we want employees to be happy" but Ron goes way bigger: "Because I think [kindness] is why we’re here on the planet" https://gimletmedia.com/shows/without-fail/39h33l
Slack - Stewart Butterfield's famous launch day post explained that they weren't selling a new chat feature - they were creating an entirely new way to work.
The strategy was to glorify the joys of horseback riding, not pitch the equipment. https://medium.com/@stewart/we-dont-sell-saddles-here-4c59524d650d
The strategy was to glorify the joys of horseback riding, not pitch the equipment. https://medium.com/@stewart/we-dont-sell-saddles-here-4c59524d650d
Shopify - “We arm the rebels” - an entire strategy, story arc, identify, and sense of purpose is 4 words.
This is probably my favorite recent company narrative. The
President of Shopify talks about it w/ @shaanVP and @samparr on their podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/118-harley-finkelstein-shopifys-president-why-you-should/id1469759170?i=1000494148701
This is probably my favorite recent company narrative. The
President of Shopify talks about it w/ @shaanVP and @samparr on their podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/118-harley-finkelstein-shopifys-president-why-you-should/id1469759170?i=1000494148701
Zappos - Tony Hseigh took a shoe company (yawn) & unleveled it with “Delivering Happiness”.
Imagine the average Zappos employee who believes in the mission vs a Payless store employee
Great example of how people step up when they feel part of something bigger than themselves
Imagine the average Zappos employee who believes in the mission vs a Payless store employee
Great example of how people step up when they feel part of something bigger than themselves
Apple’s Think Different. Jobs explicitly said they were more than a place “making boxes for people to get their job done.”
This had be authentic - most companies couldn’t have pulled this off - and the target audience was employees as much as customers.
This had be authentic - most companies couldn’t have pulled this off - and the target audience was employees as much as customers.
Nike - quoting Jobs in ^^ video:
“Remember, Nike sells a commodity. They sell shoes! And yet when you think of Nike, you feel something different than a shoe company.”
Nike honors athletes & great athletics. "That's who they are, that's what they are about."
“Remember, Nike sells a commodity. They sell shoes! And yet when you think of Nike, you feel something different than a shoe company.”
Nike honors athletes & great athletics. "That's who they are, that's what they are about."
Stripe talks about "increasing the GDP of the Internet".
This only partially reveals the ambitions of the founders, because implicit is that the Internet will wholesale replace whatever we’re calling the life & things that came before it
This only partially reveals the ambitions of the founders, because implicit is that the Internet will wholesale replace whatever we’re calling the life & things that came before it
/end - would love to hear the company stories & narratives I left out that resonate w/ others
