I’ve always asked myself “what is the way to be successful?” I tried figuring things out on my own and believed that hard work will always be the way to being a successful person in this world. But as I ventured in the business scene, hard work doesn’t really pay off as much as I expected it to be. It must be accompanied with strategy and timing. And so, I applied these things, hard work + strategy + timing but still it didn’t work and I eventually lost hope and passion until I stumbled in the principle of “Starting with Why.”
It was one afternoon that I spent watching talks and seminars, and bumped into Simon Sinek’s Ted Talk where he taught the Golden Circle — Why, How, What. He said in his video that most people know the What, some know the How, but only a few know the Why. And as long as you keep hold of your Whys then you’ll have the reason to go on, to move forward, and be successful. I pondered hard on his words as I went on each day, asking myself the question “why” hundred times, while crossing the streets, eating breakfast, watching tv, and day dreaming until I came up with my own reason. I started sharing his principle in my seminars and talks, and it became an eye opener to my audience the same way it’s to me. I also read more books to help me grow as a leader and eventually realized that there’s more to add in Simon’s principle, and I came up with a tweak version of the Golden Circle — Why, Who, How, What which I call the order of success and I want to share it with you.
As what Simon has said in his interviews, the reason why Apple has been one of the leading tech industry because they were different from the rest. If you are in the startup scene, I guess this is one reason why 10% makes it and 90% fails — 90% works from the outside to inside (What, How, Who, Why), that if Apple for example, is just like anybody else Steve would say “We create the best smartphones (what) that are meticulously designed (how) for elite people (who), wanna buy one? (why)” but since they are different and part of the 10%, they work from inside to out, “We aim to change the status quo and so we work with the best people to create meticulously designed smartphones, wanna buy one?”
Make meaning not money — Guy Kawasaki
The way we perceive it makes us either closer or farther from reaching success. Starting with Why is a good point I’ve learned from Simon Sinek, that as a founder and a leader when things fall apart your Why will always be the one to keep things together. And as you move towards your goal, you need help from people (Who). And when I say people, it is not just some skilled rockstar programmer or ambitious douchebag marketing officer. It has to be the right people, for it is not true that the best asset are people, but the right people are. You need to get the right people, place them on the right seats, and put off the wrong people out of the bus.
It is not true that people are the best asset, but the right people are. — Jim Collins
But how will you know who the right people are? The right people are those who work with you and not for you. The people who work for you are those who only work for your money, your network, your connections but doesn’t share the same vision. But those people who work with you are the ones who work with blood, sweat, and tears. Who believes with you no matter what, and if you have the people who believes with your why, then whatever strategy (How) you or they make for the success of your business, you will do it together because they trust you and you trust them. And that’s what a successful product (What) is comprised of — Why, Who, How, and What.
Many have perceived the order of success from outside to inside and so many failed. And when I say failed it doesn’t mean financial loss, no user base, or sales growth, rather it is the loss of appetite to keep moving forward and so you give up. And so if you’ll ask me what’s the way to success? It starts of with Why (the meaning), then Finding the Who (who works with you), next the How (decision and strategy) and the What (the product).
