Continuing with takeaways from Clayton Christensen’s book How Will You Measure Your Life?, there’s another area of content I want to highlight from the book. In the epilogue, Professor Christensen talks about the benefits of defining a purpose for a family and how similar it is to defining a purpose for a startup.
Here are the three parts of a company or startup’s purpose (pg. 196):
- Likeness – what the key leaders and employees want the enterprise to have become at the end of the path that they are on
- Commitment – a deep level of resolve to achieving the likeness laid out
- Metrics – defined results enabling everyone associated with the enterprise to calibrate their work
With these three parts of a startup’s purpose – likeness, commitment, and metrics – team members achieve clarity and alignment significantly increasing the likelihood of success. Purpose fits in with items like mission, vision, and values to paint a clear picture of the most strategic side of a startup.
What else? What are your thoughts on the three parts of a startup’s purpose?
David Cummings on Startups 