Start with Why Summary

1.  WHY is the purpose, cause, or belief.
2. Every inspiring leader starts with WHY
3. People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.
4. Knowing our WHY is essential for lasting success and the ability to avoid being lumped in with others.
5. When your WHY goes fuzzy, it becomes much more difficult to maintain the growth, loyalty, and inspiration that helped drive your original success.

The assumptions we make have a significant impact on our actions. Looking at the bigger picture and considering your end result when planning will lead to better long-term results.

Sinek also uses this metaphor when talking about leadership. He describes two types of leader:

1. Those who manipulate circumstances to reach their end result.
2. Those who have their end result and potential issues in mind from the beginning.

Start With Why by Simon Sinek — Why Purpose-Driven Companies Succeed by Simon Sinek

In “Start With Why,” Simon Sinek explores the idea that purpose-driven companies succeed because they start with the “why” instead of the “what” or the “how.” He argues that when companies communicate their purpose and beliefs, they can create loyal customers and employees who share those values. Sinek uses real-world examples to illustrate his point and provides a framework for finding your own “why” as a company or individual.

The usual thought when starting a company is to either find a great idea or build a great service. The problem is that whatever characteristic you build your product on, chances are, others are already offering it. So why should consumers buy from you? Well, because they need to know the “Why” behind your purpose. People don’t Apple because it’s the only company selling smartphones or computers, they buy the “Why” behind the products. The clearer your purpose, beliefs, and values are, the more you would be able to attract your consumer’s attention and loyalty.

Persuading your consumers to buy from you using attractive promotions, discounts, buy one get one free offers may drive short term sales but they won’t win you customer loyalty. To win customer loyalty, you need to appeal to their emotions. Simply telling them about your features might appeal to their logic brain but it would already be bombarded by other companies doing the same. So to differentiate yourself, you need to go out of the way. Be authentic, be real to your customers and give them a reason to trust you not because your product is cheaply priced but because it resonates with them.

Sinek introduces the Golden Circle framework:

• Why: The core purpose or belief driving your actions.
• How: The methods or values that support the why.
• What: The products or services you offer.

Great leaders and organizations start with why, creating a deep emotional connection that inspires trust and loyalty.

“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” Customers and employees are drawn to the purpose behind your actions. When your why aligns with their beliefs, you build a loyal following that transcends transactions.

Visionary leaders inspire by communicating their why. They create environments where teams feel connected to a shared purpose, driving motivation and innovation. Leadership isn’t about authority; it’s about creating belief.

The core of what you are doing and how you are doing it. Knowing the why is the best step to start.

Note for myself: As an individual, I need to know the core values that I uphold as well as the life goal that I want to reach. It's important to introspect and ask why I am doing what I am doing. Knowing it will give me more direction to go on and live the life that I will be living.

The intricacies of process and systems. It's an important phase of the Golden Circle. The WHY will never be executed without the details of the How. Usually people who are good with WHY need a person who is good on the How.

The output or the product. The visible part and the one which has the features on it. This may seem easy but is a crucial part of the Golden Circle. Without the WHAT, the why and the how will be useless.

In order to find the purpose in your life or buisness you must know the following rule.

Every organization on the planet knows WHAT they do. These are products they sell or service l.

Some organizations know HOW they do it. These are things which make them special or ste them apart from their competition.

• We make assumptions about the world around us based on sometimes incomplete or false information

• Our behavior is affected by our assumptions or our perceived truths

• We make decisions based upon what we THINK we know

• Not all decisions work out to be the right decisions regardless of the amount of data we collect

• Just because the result went the way you wanted does not mean you can repeat it over and over

• The more information and data are the key to ensure that all our results will yied best results

• Assumptions even based on the sound research, can lead us astray

• More data doesn’t always help especially if the flawed assumptions set the whole process in motion in the first place 

• Every instruction we give, every course of action we set, every result we desire start with a DECISION

• Our need to belong is not rational, but it is constant that exists across all people in all cultures.

• When we feel like we belong we feel connected and we feel safe

• Our desire to feel like we belong is so powerful that we will go to great lengths, do irrational things and often spend money to get that feeling

• Our natural need to belong also makes us good at spotting things that don’t belong

GUT DECISIONS DON’T HAPPEN IN YOUR STOMACH

• When a decision feels right, we have a hard time explaining why we did what we did

There are only two ways to influence human behavior: you can manipulate it or you can inspire it.

“No one ever got fired for hiring IBM,” goes the old adage, describing a behavior completely borne out of fear.

• People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.
• Your decisions should be consistent with your why.
• Fuel the human desire to belong to influence purchasing decisions.
• Keep your marketing inspirational.
• You need a dream, but have a plan.