Your Why Is Your Biggest Money Maker (If You Actually Get It Right)
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Your Why Is Your Biggest Money Maker
"People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it."
Simon Sinek dropped this truth bomb over a decade ago. Since then, it's been repeated so many times it's almost lost its meaning.
Every startup has a mission statement now. Every corporation claims they're changing the world. Every founder talks about their deeper purpose.
But most of them are lying to themselves.
They write fluffy statements about changing the world. They try to copy Apple's "think different" approach. They manufacture meaning where there isn't any.
And their customers see right through it.
Why Most Mission Statements Fail
Walk into most company meetings and you'll hear the same garbage:
"We're disrupting [insert industry]"
"We're revolutionizing how people [insert basic function]"
"We're passionate about delivering value"
It sounds good. Looks great on the website. Gets everyone nodding along in meetings.
But it changes nothing about how the business actually operates.
Real purpose drives real decisions.
When Patagonia discovered their cotton products were causing environmental harm, they didn't just write a nice statement about sustainability. They completely rebuilt their supply chain around organic materials. It cost them millions. Their margins took a hit.
But that's what happens when your why is real.
Most companies never face this test. Their purpose lives in PowerPoint presentations, not profit and loss statements. They talk about impact but optimize for next quarter's numbers.
And that's why their customers don't believe them.
The Hidden Power of True Purpose
A fake why lives in your mission statement.
A real why shows up in your bank statements.
Look at what Ben & Jerry's has done over decades. They don't just make ice cream with cute social justice names. They've actively fought their parent company Unilever multiple times over decisions that prioritized profit over purpose.
In 2021, they stopped selling ice cream in Israel, knowing it would cost them millions. They've been sued, criticized, and attacked.
But their customers trust them more because of it.
Because a real why isn't convenient. It forces hard choices. It costs you something.
What a Real Why Does to Business
Most companies think purpose is about marketing.
About telling a story that sounds good. About connecting with customers on an emotional level. About building a brand that people love.
But that's backward.
A real why transforms how you operate. It becomes the filter for every decision. The compass for every strategy. The test for every opportunity.
Look at how REI operates. They could make millions more by opening on Black Friday. Instead, they close every store, give employees paid time off, and tell people to go outside.
The #OptOutside campaign wasn't created by their marketing team. It came directly from their why: getting people to enjoy the outdoors.
Purpose becomes profit when it drives real decisions.
Warby Parker didn't just talk about vision care for all. They rebuilt the entire cost structure of prescription eyewear. They created their own supply chain. They've distributed millions of pairs through their buy-one-give-one program.
These weren't marketing decisions. They were fundamental business choices that cost real money.
The Authenticity Trap
Here's where it gets tricky.
Most companies try to find a why that sounds authentic. That feels meaningful. That resonates with their target market.
But authenticity can't be manufactured.
TOMS Shoes learned this the hard way. Their why started pure: Blake Mycoskie saw kids without shoes in Argentina and built a company to solve it. The buy-one-give-one model worked because it was genuine.
But when they tried to expand this model to every type of product, it felt forced. Sunglasses, coffee, bags – each new product line diluted their why.
Your why needs room to evolve, but it can't be stretched beyond recognition.
The Difference Between Purpose and Positioning
This is where most purpose-finding exercises go wrong.
They start with positioning aspirations. With how you want to be seen. With what sounds good in pitch meetings.
But real purpose starts with tension.
It's about the gap between how things are and how they should be. The problems that drive you crazy. The changes you can't stop thinking about.
Look at how Method cleaning products started. Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan weren't trying to build a cleaning company. They were obsessed with the fact that cleaning products were toxic, ugly, and harmful to the environment.
That tension drove everything:
Their product formulations
Their distinctive design
Their manufacturing processes
Their marketing voice
Finding Your True Why
Most purpose-finding exercises fail before they start.
They begin with aspiration instead of reality. With how you want to be seen instead of what actually drives you. With what sounds good instead of what feels true.
This is why we need a better framework.
The Japanese concept of Ikigai has been trending in self-help circles for years. But stripped of the fluff, it's actually a powerful tool for business purpose.
The Business Ikigai Framework
Traditional Ikigai maps four circles:
What you love (what actually drives you)
What you're good at (what you’re genuinely good at)
What the world needs (what the market actually values)
What you can be paid for (what solves real problems)
But for business, we need to go deeper:
What Actually Drives You This isn't about "passion" or what excites you today. It's about what problems make you angry enough to work on them for decades. What changes you'd pursue even if you never got credit.
Southwest Airlines' why didn't come from a consulting firm. It came from Herb Kelleher's genuine belief that air travel should be accessible to regular people, not just the wealthy.
What You're Genuinely Good At Not your aspirational capabilities. Not what your competitors do. The specific strengths and systems you've built that actually work.
Patagonia doesn't just care about the environment. They've spent decades building expertise in sustainable manufacturing. Their why works because they can execute on it.
What the Market Actually Values Purpose without profit isn't business – it's charity. The market must validate your why with their wallets.
Tesla's mission of accelerating sustainable transport works because people want electric cars that are actually better than gas vehicles, not just more ethical.
What Solves Real Problems Not what you think the world needs. Not what investors say it needs. Real problems that real people or businesses are actively trying to solve.
Stripe's why of increasing the GDP of the internet works because businesses genuinely struggle with online payments. The problem existed before the purpose.
The Power of Intersection
Most companies hit one or two of these points and wonder why their purpose feels hollow.
Real why lives at the intersection of all four.
Look at how this plays out in practice:
Airbnb works because:
The founders were genuinely passionate about community and belonging
They built real expertise in trust and connection online
People needed affordable, unique places to stay
The market was willing to pay for local experiences
Method cleaning products succeeded because:
The founders were obsessed with non-toxic cleaning
They had genuine design and formulation expertise
People wanted safe, beautiful products
Customers would pay premium prices for better solutions
Putting This Into Practice
Here's how to actually use this framework:
Start With Tension
What problems make you genuinely angry?
What changes would you work on without recognition?
What gaps between reality and possibility drive you crazy?
Write these down without filtering. The raw truth matters more than how it sounds.
Map Your Real Capabilities
What systems have you actually built that work?
What unique approaches have you developed?
What can you execute better than others?
Be brutally honest. Aspiration isn't capability.
Validate Market Reality
What will people actually pay for?
Where is money already being spent?
What business model could sustain this work?
Purpose without profit dies quickly.
Identify Real Problems
What are people actively trying to solve?
Where are they spending time and money?
What solutions are they cobbling together?
Look for evidence, not assumptions.
The Integration Test
Once you have these pieces, the real work begins.
Your why must integrate all four elements. It must drive decisions, not just declarations. It must cost you something while making you something.
Here's how to test it:
Would this purpose make you say no to profitable opportunities?
Could this drive decisions your competitors wouldn't make?
Would you pursue this even if it wasn't marketable?
Does this connect directly to how you make money?
If you're not getting clear yeses, keep digging.
Because a why that comes from this place can't be copied.
It becomes your filter for decisions. Your magnet for the right customers. Your guide through hard times.
And yes, your biggest competitive advantage.
But only if you actually get it right.
– Scott
Surprisingly to me as I read this, my pursuit seems to check all these boxes. How does one go about expressing this in marketing & social content without it feeling forced and therefore being perceived as inauthentic?