Start with Why text review

Start with Why text review

Inspiration is essential for everyone and human being naturally look up to certain individuals who inspire them. The text “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek is about inspiration and creating long-term success. The author begins by employing examples of inspirational individuals including Steve Wozniak and Steve jobs who were the founders of the Apple brand. When Wozniak first developed Apple several decades ago, the computer was perceived as something that could not be integrated into the business world. However, his goal was to get the computer to the hands of the average person. His companion, Steve Jobs, had a mission of creating a successful company and saw apple as the ideal tool to realize this dream. To bring the point home, Sinek intimates that Wozniak and Jobs were not the only ones looking at a computer revolution and they did not actually have extensive knowledge about computer business. However, the fact that they still created such a fast growing company that is a technological giant today means that Apple inspires many people.

Sinek is keen to discuss how assumptions motivate everything that we engage in. Every decision that people make, and every course of action that they choose, is influenced by assumptions. These assumptions often steer courses of action that are not right for what individuals want to achieve. However, because they believe that they are correct in their assumptions, they continue until they fail. Therefore, determining assumptions up front is essential to avoid failure.

The association between manipulation and inspiration is another focus of the text. Sinek underlines that manipulation in form of pricing, promotion and fear is a pervasive practice among business organizations today. it results in transactions, but not loyalty. Sinek presents fear as an interesting manipulation strategy. The book employs the example of advertising slogans from organizations such as “Every 30 seconds someone dies from a heart attack” and “life insurance before it’s too late.” The consumer acquires these products due to a manipulation of fear as to what will happen if they fail to purchase them. Sinek argues that these types of manipulations have become the norm in industries, however, there are some that choose to inspire rather than manipulate. In his view, if a company wants employees and customers to be loyal, inspiration is imperative. Therefore, they have to comprehend and agree with your “why.”

This is where the “golden circle” strategy is applicable. The business strategists ask themselves three fundamental questions: why, how and what? Sinek argues that many firms can establish what they do and how they do it, however, they need to determine why they do whatever they do and make this a focus to present to the consumer. The book provides great examples of how the golden circle influences the outcome of various business entities. One unique example is that of Apple vs. Dell. Apple has long established their “why” as being the challengers in industry. They always want to challenge the status quo in everything they do. Because of this tradition, when Apple wanted to explore and develop iPods, iPhones, and MP3 players, no one took issue. Of course the company could do all that because they wanted to challenge the status quo in the market. However, Dell has often marketed itself for their “what,” computers. Therefore, when they attempted to delve into the same market as Apple, they were not as successful. The consumers viewed them as a computer company, so why would they buy anything from them other than computers? Apple is seen as an inspirer that communicates with the customer and determines the customers’ needs as to what they want from a product.

The book then adapts the concept of the golden circle to the human mind in terms of how one communicates. People need to know why they do what they do in order to communicate this to others so they believe and subscribe to our strategies. Here, an example of Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft is employed. Sinek intimates that although Bill Gates’ business acumen and management style were essential to the success of Microsoft, the engine of his success was because he embodied what he believed through his ‘everyman should have a PC’ concept.

Why is utilized in many contexts throughout the text. “Why” can refer to an individual’s close identification with an organization’s vision and mission, to a client’s motivation to purchase the organization’s products, or to an employee’s hidden reason’s for passionate engagement in their job. “Why” can also describe why a rational appeal to consumers and employees is ineffective, or what makes a great leader great. Sinek utilizes examples throughout the text to illustrate his points. the examples of Apple, Martin Luther King and Microsoft are heavily employed. Through his discussions and illustrations, Sinek demonstrates that starting with “why” is what defines a great leader. Although the book focuses on the corporate world, it shows how this principle applies in other spheres of life as well such as cultural activism. To quote Sinek, “people do not buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”