Our "Why" at ZTEC Instruments

Simon Sinek's book "Start With Why" argues that we are driven by "why". Decision-making is emotional and we use reason to justify our emotional decisions. Sinek supports his theory with a biological argument that decision-making is centered in the limbic system at the core of the human brain. The limbic brain is the most primal part of the brain and is responsible for emotion, behavior & long-term memory. Language and reason occur in the more developed part of the brain called the neocortex. We use reason to justify and rationalize our emotional decisions, but all decisions are based upon emotion.

Great companies start with a "why", and this "why" emotionally connects with customers and workers alike. We purchase products that resonate with our identity and values. We purchase products from companies that are aligned with our beliefs. Sinek states "People do not buy what you do, they buy why you do it." In regards to work, we all want to be part of something greater than ourselves. If you hire people who believe what you believe, work takes on true meaning and purpose. An organization aligned in its "why" provides the passion and drive to accomplish great things.

And, this is our "why" at  ZTEC Instruments.  We believe in individual contribution, contribution to our customers, to our industry, to our community, and especially contribution to the professional development of a superior workforce. We believe that a talented and highly-motivated group of people can change the world. We have the passion and drive to do extraordinary things. How we do this is through rapid and focused innovation. What we do is manufacture wireless test equipment.

The Discipline of Market Leaders

I recently gave a colleague this classic book on business strategy by Treacy & Wiersema. Although I will not go into detail about the book's content, I do recommend it to anyone involved in defining business strategy. In brief summary, the authors provide compelling evidence that market-leading companies have single-minded focus on one of three value propositions:

1. Product Leadership
2. Operational Excellence
3. Customer Intimacy

Your Unfair Advantage

In his recent blog post on pitching to potential investors, Guy Kawasaki argues that a startup needs an unfair competitive advantage. He states "That’s why they are called unfair advantages...If everyone had them, the field was level, and everyone was created equal, then they would be called fair advantages, which is an oxymoron." Whereas pitching to investors is important, it is vastly more important for a startup to actually execute its unfair advantage. Unfulfilled promises to investors do not leave anyone very happy.

My experience has convinced me that the primary unfair advantage of any  startup is an ability for rapid decision making. I am not just referring to the early days when a startup must be opportunistic and meet the needs of any customers that it finds. Later, as a startup attempts to break out to become a successful mid-size company, it must also leverage its ability to quickly make correct decisions. Success requires an organization that combines three essential elements:
1) the right team,
2) clear objectives,
3) and a constant focus on rapid execution.

Mission-Oriented: Between Startup and Big Company

I have seen entrepreneur colleagues hit ceilings in their effectiveness as leaders.  I have also seen VCs unsuccessfully replace entrepreneurs with “big company” executives. In both cases, there is a mismatch in the skills of the leaders and the needs of the organization. I believe that there is a middle stage in the life cycle of a growing company that requires a fine balance between flexibility and structure. In Steven Blank's excellent book on company building entitled “Four Steps to the Epiphany”, he defines this middle ground between startup and big company as the mission-oriented company stage.