Setting startup vision: who and why > how and what

After taking his sick one-year-old son to the clinic multiple times for what turned out to be a simple infection (in the deep of winter to the tune of $600+ no less), Thompson Aderinkomi decided that what his family experienced wasn't okay and that he could do better. His belief—that primary care should cost less and be more enjoyable—is what has made Nice Healthcare what it is today.

Why startups fail

If you're a startup founder, you've got strong beliefs about how a certain slice of the world should be: your vision. But when it comes to startups, vision isn't everything. According to CB Insights, the #1 reason startups fail is that they don’t serve a market need. This happens when technical and non-technical founders alike think that vision means having conviction around a solution. Building solutions is an exciting and interesting endeavor, but technology for technology's sake rarely meets a true market need. True vision is having conviction around a group of people and a problem. Often, "jumping to solutions" (credit to Rich Larson for the phrase) leads to outcomes that are much less satisfying.

I enjoy the thrill of building something new as much (or more!) than the next person. In my 20+ years of launching companies as a founder and with clients, I've found that lasting satisfaction comes from building something useful—solving a bona fide problem or creating joy—not just building something novel. Whenever I get frustrated about lack of traction I just need to let go of my ego a bit and return my focus to "who" and "why."

Problems vs. technology

The best way for founders to find solutions that people want or need badly enough to be able to sustain a business is to focus more on the people they want to serve and their problems—their company's why and who, and less on what they provide and how they do it. That's not to say a company's "how" or "what" isn't important. They're just not the enduring foundation on which great companies are built.

If you have an idea, odds are that it solves a problem. 100 years from now, what's still going to be around, the problem or your idea? Technologies and business models inevitably come and go. Companies that scale and last are built around solving something bigger than any one company. Having that kind of far-reaching North Star as opposed to a more finite, inward-looking vision is what keeps organizations growing and innovating.

Success means staying open

Technology, like money, is a powerful tool, but ultimately its value lies in how it's used. When you have an idea for a solution, it's very easy to be attached to the notion that it's a good one. Most founders start out with certain ideas about what will work. Successful ones talk to their customers about their ideas, figure out ways to test them out, and stay open to all the outcomes that that feedback might lead them to.

Wanting healthcare to be less costly and painful for the typically healthy was the starting point that led Nice Healthcare to build a location-free clinic that's simpler to administrate. Their "why" and "who" were what dictated Nice Healthcare's early technology decisions—virtual visits and mobile apps were not the starting point. It was their focus on the patient experience (not the product) that lead them to offer unlimited access, free prescriptions, and other innovations. For most startups, however, embracing broad problem- and people-based thinking isn't just a matter of maximizing opportunity. It's the biggest difference out there between who's sinking and who's swimming.

If you've been reading my articles lately, by now you know that I'm eager to speak with founders and help them work through any issues they may be having, setting vision included. I really mean it, even if you're early in the process! Schedule time with me at calend.ly/zacksteven