Thanks to typeform.com for the fascinating image featured here about the intersection of entrepreneurship and meaning. It comes from an interview with Laurence McCahill of The Happy Startup School.
Normal people care about meaning
This matches my belief that making meaning or changing the world or having a reason why matters to people. And it matters to startups. And investors too. I can’t offer any sort of rigorous data to prove it. But my experience tells me that normal humans care about right and wrong, not doing harm, and spending their time on something that makes the world around them better. Do you agree?
The post I took this from cites research showing:
“Workers with a Purpose-Orientation are the most valuable and highest potential segment of the workforce regardless of industry or role. On every measure, Purpose-Oriented Workers have better outcomes than their peers.” That means:
- 20% longer expected tenure
- 50% more likely to be in leadership positions
- 47% more likely to be promoters of their employers
- 64% higher levels of fulfillment in their work
That strikes me as completely credible. And it matches my experience. I posted along those lines on this blog with Build a Mission, among others.
Startups Make Meaning
I’ve seen this factor come up often in startup pitches to angel investors. Investors naturally give more weight to a proposed startup that does something the world needs doing. Founders are more credible, and more likable, when they grow the business from roots in entrepreneurship and meaning.
I see this same idea recurring in a lot of different places. One that comes to mind immediately is Guy Kawasaki’s use of “Make Meaning” as a driver of business ideas in his book The Art of The Start.
I also like to remind entrepreneurs – just as this image does – that success is not simply a matter of doing what you love and following your passion. It is also doing what other people need, want, and will pay for.
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