Why the vision statement is important
You don’t need to be long in the ecosystem to hear things like "Stop Selling, and Start Creating Visions" or "Vision without action is daydream. Action without vision is nightmare".
Many times it’s clear to see why, it coordinates action and helps communication in the team. Some other times, especially earlier in the process it's harder to justify.
So how is vision helpful in practice?
1. Stay motivated and focused along the way
You need reasons to wake up in the morning, get to your office, hackerspace or backyard and knock out your todo list. The right motivation can do wonders for your business, no one questions this but it's common to just "believe" in what you do. Believing is necessary but not enough.
There are two other sources of motivation. The first is "having an impact" or the feeling that you do. That's the feelings of fulfillment and worthiness when doing something that has an impact on society. The second is "having a connection", could be with coworkers or with customers or with other founders. This feeling comes by helping other people in improving their lives. It is the feeling of connection you get from other people awareness and appreciation for what you did.
Takeaway: Make sure your startup vision inspires people to have an impact and a sense of contribution!
2. Set the cornerstone for a strong community
Some people go to work to engage with a "hobby" they like, some to socialize and some to make money for themselves or their family. Whatever the reason your coworkers gets off bed, an emotional fulfilling environment could take job satisfaction to another level. It makes people stick to their job for longer, be involved, be more productively and create exceptional synergies working with each other.
A uniting mission and an inspiring vision can be effective in bringing the workplace community closer. Besides, consider Google’s workspace reputation a decade ago, before they were among the biggest companies in the world, every software developer wanted to join in and it was easier to hire talented engineers. Employee’s benefits? Sure. Strong Culture? Absolutely.
Takeaway: Utilize your vision to bring your workspace community closer.
3. Building a productive culture
Teams needs some supervision and some encouragement. Someone could woke up on the wrong way, another one may might be having problems with their family and a third person might just skipped his coffee and feels sluggish. None of this is your fault, nevertheless it’s our job to coordinate these people and convey the appropriate motivation. People that are bad fit and those that are not passionate for the startups mission or their daily job are another different story and shouldn't be in the company in the first place. Still, even the most advanced project management methodologies and the most effective team management tactics lack can't compare to an inspired employee that relates the startup's vision.
Maybe consider yourself some vision statements for example Harvard’s "To develop leaders who will one day make a global difference.", Tesla’s "Accelerate the advent of sustainable transport by bringing mass market electric cars to market as soon as possible.", BBC’s "To enrich people’s lives with programmes and services that inform, educate and entertain." or Harley Davidson’s "To fulfil dreams through the experiences of motorcycling.". Do you relate with their causes? Would you joined these companies if circumstances arise? Or more importantly, are you inspired to work towards reaching their vision? Now take a breath and consider the same questions for your employees and take action so that answer is not a "maybe".
Takeaway: Find people that relate with your vision and they will do wonders!
4. Avoid the "you" trap
The "you" trap is when a startup founder focuses on what they want rather than what their customer wants. Elon’s first wife nicely put it on Quora "Shift your focus away from what you want (a billion dollars) and get deeply, intensely curious about what the world wants and needs.". Considering the strength required for one to be an entrepreneur this sounds about right. But that's not all, Besides focus and dedication, there's also creativity.
There are a numerous studies showing that rewards is not always linked to greater productivity. Sometimes "rewards" put pressure on focusing on a goal so that someone can't allow themselves to be creative. Some researchers came up with concept of "intrinsic motivation" ie. motivation that comes from our inner beliefs and has a much stronger correlation with creativity and originality. That is exactly what a founder needs, new ideas, creative problem-solving or in other words strong intrinsic motivation.
Takeaway: Understand your customer and make it your life goal to make them smile!
5. Step up your marketing
Most of people’s decisions are made subconsciously. That's not to say that they are made irrationally, it's your brain silently whispering that something will make you feel better. People buy chocolates from a grocery store counter, enter an Apple Store just to get a grip on the new iPhone or buy $5 worth of gems to upgrade their Tower Hall to level 11 on Clash of Clans. The sensation of happiness doesn’t come all at once though. It comes in tiny bits of satisfaction that drive every action they do towards the purchase. A successful marketing campaign have to reciprocate these feelings in every step of the process.
Consider your have a clothes brand and you are selling hand-made garments and accessories. Imagine someone sees a wooden sunglasses' ad of yours on Instagram or sees your skinny jeans in the street or sees the email confirmation when they purchase from you. The exposure to your brand will most likely create some feelings and some thoughts. These, on a smaller degree, will be the same they experience when they wear your clothes. They may feel more sporty, more artsy or more trendy or that they look better.
Your startup vision should be something along these lines. It should align you products to make a difference to people's lives. Consider why would this be the case. Why your product or service makes them happier? What specific feelings are the experiencing using it and what needs they have satisfied? These feelings should be what you want to communicate to your audience in your marketing campaign and in every single aspect of your product or service.
Takeaway: Use your startup vision to coordinate your marketing campaigns.
Summary
This article highlights the importance of creating a vision and taking action in a startup. Simply selling or promoting without a clear vision can be ineffective, and having a vision without taking action can be counterproductive. The coordination of action and effective communication within a team is crucial, as it helps align everyone towards a common goal.
While the significance of vision and action is evident in certain situations, it may be more challenging to justify their importance in the early stages of a process.