Defining the business purpose, for many companies has a lot to do with two things: product and concept.
product
noun [ C ] US /ˈprɑd·əkt, -ʌkt/
- something that is manufactured or grown to be sold, usually in large quantities;
- a service that customers can buy from a financial organization to invest or save money;
- something that is available for sale.
concept
noun [ C ] US /ˈkɑn·sept/
- an idea for a new product or a way to sell a product;
- an idea, theory, etc. about a particular subject.
I want to start with the conclusion of this article, which is this: the product is the form; the concept is the substance.
To have a business purpose, first create the substance and then give it the form
Right now I’m thinking about successful books; bestsellers that were read by hundreds of thousands of people.
For example, let’s talk about Be Obsessed or Be Average, by Grant Cardone.
The product is a book, but when you analyze the concept of the book, you can notice some amazing things. Its concept is about how to be obsessed with what matters in life and how to shift your obsession from negative actions to positive ones.
The One Thing, by Garry Keller, is another book. Its concept is amazing too and it’s about how to find that one thing the brings the most results in your life and focus on that.
Start With Why, by Simon Sinek, is another book. And guess what? Its concept is incredible and it’s about life’s purpose and the meaning of one’s actions.
You see, if you think about these creations, when you buy them you don’t do it for the product. You don’t buy them because they are books. You buy them because their concepts mean something to you. You want to learn more about them and maybe even master them.
Right now I’m looking at Start With Why in Amazon’s store and I see this book is under the category of Business Culture. The books that I’m seeing in the first 5 to 10 pages under this category are all about concepts related to businesses. But not about businesses.
And then, when I go randomly to page 46, I find this book developed by Harvard Business Review called HBR Guide to Delivering Effective Feedback (HBR Guide Series) which has only one review of 4 stars.
Harvard is popular, but why isn’t the book? Because it’s not about the product; it’s about the concept.
The concept is ALWAYS connected to a purpose
If you set yourself to write a book, after a certain period of time you will have a book.
But if you set yourself a purpose, immediately you will have a mission. And this mission is always represented by delivering your purpose to the world and letting the world know your aspirations and desires.
The product is only a tool that will help you spread the message.
If you want to encourage people to run, a book won’t help you that much. Or it won’t help as much as a series of running events where you inspire people with your example and actions.
If you want to encourage people to go to Mars, a series of events won’t help you. Or it won’t help you as much as building a spaceship and broadcasting live from Mars.
Don’t set yourself to create a book, an online course, or a smartphone app; set yourself to create the concept that’s going to solve the market’s need.
The WHY behind your product
Maybe it’s the first time you are realizing the importance of the concept.
If that’s your case and you have already developed some products, it’s time to improve their quality.
Ask yourself why you developed them and why it’s important for you to sell these products. Ask yourself what’s the greater good your products are meant for and how are they able to improve the life of the buyers.
As Simon Sinek says in his TEDx talk, you definitely know what you are selling. Maybe you know how you are selling it. But there are big chances for you not to know why you are selling it.
Answering the “why?” is going to set your perspective free and make you understand what’s your business purpose in this crazy world. Not only regarding your products, but your actions, relationships, and everything your life was built on.
With love and optimism,
David