The Business (Not as Usual) Model

For decades, business success followed a familiar formula: maximise profit, grow market share, and prioritise shareholders. It was a transactional game, played by those with the resources to enter.

But something is shifting.

A new wave of businesses is emerging, ones that prioritise purpose alongside profit, community over competition, and long-term sustainability over short-term extraction.

This shift is challenging the status quo, and while some embrace it, others are resisting with everything they have.

We’re at a crossroads: do we double down on the old models, or do we recognise that business, like society, must evolve?

Why Is This Shift Happening?

For a long time, business success worked for those already inside the system, those with the right connections, capital, and opportunities. But for many, the barriers to entry have only grown:

?? Access to funding is shrinking.

?? Inequality of opportunity is widening.

?? Workers and consumers are demanding more from businesses.

People no longer just buy from brands; they buy into them.

Employees aren’t willing to accept toxic work cultures for the sake of a income.

Consumers expect transparency, ethics, and sustainability. And leaders who fail to recognise this shift are struggling to keep up.

At the same time, external pressures, climate change, economic instability, and rapid technological advancements, are reshaping what it means to build a resilient, future-proof business.

The Wealth Generation Shift

The companies thriving today aren’t just extracting wealth, they’re creating it in new ways.

We see this in:

?? B-Corps and Social Enterprises

Proving that profit and purpose are not mutually exclusive.

?? Stakeholder-First Models

Where success isn’t measured just by shareholders, but by the impact on employees, communities, and the environment.

?? Decentralised and Collaborative Business Models

Leveraging ecosystems rather than rigid hierarchies.

This doesn’t mean profit is irrelevant. It means profit alone is no longer enough. Wealth generation that doesn’t consider its impact on people and society is becoming obsolete.

The Pushback and Why It Won’t Last

Of course, not everyone is on board.

Many who built their success in the old system see this shift as a threat.

They argue that business should return to its roots, efficiency, competition, and profit above all. But their resistance is showing up in ways that don’t hold up to scrutiny:

1. The Return-to-Office (RTO) Mandates

Many companies are forcing employees back into offices, claiming that remote work reduces productivity. Yet, studies (including Stanford GSB Corporate Governance Research Initiative ) show hybrid and remote teams can be just as, if not more, productive.

What’s really happening?

?? A resistance to change

Some leaders simply can’t let go of old ways of working.

?? Power dynamics

Many equate physical presence with control rather than trusting employees to deliver results.

?? Short-term thinking

Rather than investing in better collaboration tools and leadership models, they’re reverting to outdated structures.

One of the most vocal critics of remote work is Elon Musk, who has repeatedly dismissed flexible work arrangements as "morally wrong" and ordered workers back to Tesla and Twitter/X offices.

His argument? That in-person work is the only way to be truly productive.

But the results speak for themselves:

?? Musk's Twitter/X has been plagued with instability and mass layoffs, leading to declining ad revenue and user trust.

?? Companies enforcing strict RTO policies (Goldman Sachs, Amazon) are seeing increased employee dissatisfaction and turnover.

?? Meanwhile, businesses that have embraced hybrid models (Atlassian, Airbnb, Microsoft) are thriving in talent retention and productivity.

The pattern is clear, companies that force a return to outdated work structures risk alienating their workforce and falling behind.

2. Attacks on Purpose-Driven Businesses

There’s a growing narrative that businesses focusing on social good, sustainability, and employee well-being are "distracted" from profit.

But the evidence says otherwise:

?? ESG-focused companies (Environmental, Social, and Governance) often outperform the market in the long term.

?? Customers increasingly choose brands that align with their values.

?? Employees prefer workplaces that prioritise well-being, leading to higher retention and engagement.

And yet, we see pushback from those invested in the old model:

• The backlash against ESG investing, with critics claiming it’s ‘ideological’ rather than practical.
• Business leaders stepping back from social responsibility efforts due to pressure from conservative investors.
• A push to dismantle workplace inclusion and well-being initiatives in favor of “hardcore” work cultures.

The irony?

The companies resisting purpose-driven business are the ones most at risk of losing relevance.

3. The Myth of ‘Going Back to What Worked’

There’s a nostalgic push to "return to business fundamentals."

But was the old way really working?

?? Retailers that ignored e-commerce (Sears, Toys "R" Us) collapsed.

?? Traditional banks that failed to embrace fintech lost customers to digital-first challengers like Monzo and Stripe.

?? Legacy automakers that delayed investment in hybrid and EV technology are now scrambling to catch up to BYD, Toyota, and Ford.

Business doesn’t move backward. It evolves.

Adapt or Become Obsolete

We’ve seen it before.

The companies that fail to evolve eventually disappear.

?? Blockbuster ignored the streaming revolution, Netflix took its place.

?? Traditional TV networks are losing ground to streaming giants like Amazon, Apple, and Netflix, which are now entering live sports and events.

?? Retailers that embraced omni-channel shopping (like Target and Walmart) are thriving, while those who clung to physical stores alone are struggling unless offering bespoke and customised services not available online.

This isn’t just about technology. It’s about mindset.

The future belongs to businesses that:

? See shifts coming and adapt before they’re forced to.

? Understand that profit and purpose are no longer separate conversations.

? Build ecosystems of shared value, rather than extract wealth at all costs.

The companies clinging to the old model may push back. They may try to stall progress.

But history tells us one thing: business is never static. You either adapt or become irrelevant.

How Do We Help These Businesses Thrive?

To make the "Business (Not As Usual) Model" dominant, we need to break down the old barriers.

That means:

Shifting Investment Models

Traditional VCs prioritise high-speed growth and short-term returns. But a new wave of investors is emerging, ones who back purpose-driven businesses, sustainable enterprises, and long-term impact models.

Funds like Founders Pledge , Impact Investors , Boxfund VC and alternative financing models (revenue-based financing, community-driven funding) are reshaping access to capital.

Empowering Business Ecosystems

Success isn’t built in isolation. Businesses that collaborate rather than compete, by forming industry alliances, knowledge-sharing networks, and decentralised growth strategies, will be the ones that scale in a way that lasts.

Systems That Reinforce Purpose-Driven Success

Frameworks like nuutology help businesses move beyond vague "vision statements" to tangible, strategic Endgames. When businesses embed clear direction and purpose at their core, they create cultures of independent thinking, shared ownership, and long-term resilience.

The key to success in this new era?

Make purpose profitable.

Make collaboration a competitive advantage.

And make long-term thinking the standard.

What do you think?

Are we witnessing a fundamental shift in how businesses operate, or will traditional models try to claw their way back?

What’s needed to make purpose-driven business the norm rather than the exception?