How can you define and communicate your startup's vision and mission?

Actually, I disagree with: Some people argue that vision statements are a waste of time and that they are often too vague to be useful. However, I believe that a well-crafted vision statement can be a valuable tool for any organization. One example of a helpful vision statement is that of Google: "To organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful." This vision statement is clear, concise, and inspiring. It also aligns well with Google's values of innovation and openness.

A vision statement is instrumental for every company especially in its early days. The vision of the founder(s) is this desired state of being, the big goal that the company aims to achieve in 3-5-7 years. Initially, there is only a vague idea for a product or service in the head of a founder and in order to materialise it as a successful company, they need to crystallise it so that they are able to explain it to themselves and others. Winning other people over, be it as co-founders, early employees, investors or customers is key for the development of the company.

The most effective way is with absolute authenticity. We've heard all the woo woo fluffy stuff before and it's hard to avoid the cliches. Tell people why you do what you do and what you want to achieve.

I think a better definition of a mission statement is "core purpose of existence". It answers the question "why are we doing what we are doing" and helps clarify what's in and what's out. The reason of why mission statement is important for a company is because it gives purpose, it gives the "why" behind the business. Fulfilment comes when people are spending their time on something they care about and the only way to get people who care about what you do is to state it clearly so that they can decide for themselves whether they associate with it or not. In times of hardship, it is the mission that gives people the needed energy to persevere and show up every single day.

This description of a mission is right, but the example is not. Airbnb’s vision is create a world where anyone can belong, their mission would sound something like ‘create amazing, community driven travel experiences’. Create is actionable. Amazing is realistic. Community driven is differentiated.

My perspective on a mission statement is that it is a concise statement of an organization's purpose and what it does to achieve its vision. It should be clear, inspirational, and actionable. A good mission statement should also be aligned with the organization's values and culture. A mission statement is important because it provides a framework for decision-making and helps to keep the organization focused on its goals. It can also be a powerful tool for attracting and retaining customers and employees. Here are some examples of effective mission statements: Amazon: "To be Earth's most customer-centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online."

One observation I have made in business helping hundreds of founders build visions and missions that actually serve growth, not just sit in a pdf document that is read in HR onboarding, is the vision has to be an extension of the founders perceived capability and the mission has to be an extension of the products utility. Democratising the process of building a vision and mission is the quickest way to come up with a bunch of words that mean nothing and agencies love to charge to help produce. Mission is the only truly important statement for growth. Vision doesn’t make sense for the market until they have experienced your brands value today. This is why Silicon Valley startups are ‘mission driven’, it’s a game of product adoption.

Once you have a good understanding of these things, you can start to brainstorm vision and mission statements. Your vision statement should be a concise and inspiring statement of what you hope to achieve in the long term. Your mission statement should be a brief and specific explanation of how you plan to accomplish your vision. Actually I disagree with: Some people argue that vision and mission statements are a waste of time and that they are often too vague to be useful. However, I believe that a well-crafted vision and mission statement can be a valuable tool for any startup.

When communicating your vision and mission, it should not feel as "here I am, on stage, talking about my vision or mission". It should be part of your personal and company's story. It should feel natural after doing it a few times, and if it is not, you should redefine the vision and mission. Make sure that you do, because you will repeat this story hundreds if not thousands of times. The main take-away is that stories stick way less than you assume: you will have to repeat yourself day after day after day before it will stick.

Key takeaway: Your vision and mission are all about ‘you’, marketing to customers is all about ‘them’. So it depends on who you’re talking to. For investors, you might want to emphasise that story. For customers, don’t incorporate it in the initial messaging, but do incorporate it into your ‘about us’ page for when they’re ready to learn more about you as a company.

I'm just hear to watch Leigh Sherman push back on the generic AI argle bargle with some very concise HUMAN good advice. Popping some virtual popcorn.

One thing I have found helpful about vision and mission statements for startup development is that they can help to Focus efforts and make decisions that are aligned with your long-term goals. When you have a clear vision and mission statement, it is easier to make decisions that are aligned with your overall goals and objectives. This can help you to avoid distractions and stay on track. Some people argue that vision and mission statements are a waste of time and that they are often too vague to be useful. However, I believe that a well-crafted vision and mission statement can be a valuable tool for any startup.

If mission is providing the core purpose of existence of organisation, vision the desired state of being in 3-5 years, then the strategy is providing the concrete high-level plans that we will execute in order to achieve our vision and to fulfil our mission. Another key concept that one needs to consider are OKRs which are key milestones along the way of executing the strategy leading to the ultimate one - the vision. Lastly - a company should define its core values and guiding principles as they are the fundamental for the company's culture. Culture is the implicit guidance to decision making of every member of the company's team.

A startup with a vision statement of "to be the world's leading provider of sustainable energy solutions" and a mission statement of "to develop and commercialize innovative renewable energy technologies" is considering launching a new product line of solar panels. Before making a decision, the startup considers its vision and mission statements. It asks itself the following questions: Is the new product line aligned with our vision and mission statements? Will the new product line help us to achieve our long-term goals? Do we have the resources and capabilities to launch and sell the new product line successfully? Based on its answers to these questions, the startup decides to launch the new product line.