Lecture of the Week: "Start with the 'Why'"

At the moment I'm in Atlanta, Georgia with Carsten and yesterday he shared this video with me and it totally blew my mind. While I'm pretty sure his goal was to convince me that I am a great leader by starting this company, I saw this as a valuable lesson in the world of stock analysis. In a nutshell it's to be aware of the human biology and psychology - you don't necessarily have to fight it, just be aware of it.

Simon Sinek gave this TEDx lecture in Seattle back in 2010, but the message is universal and transcends time and space. The lecture is incredibly interesting and the guy has a very engaging stage presence, but if you don't want to watch all 17 minutes of the video I'll give you a quick summary.

He seeks to differentiate those who ARE leaders versus THOSE WHO LEAD. What makes Apple a standout company? Their products are of high quality but there are plenty of other high-quality computer makers in the world - what makes them different? Martin Luther King Jr. wasn't the only great orator of the 1960s nor was he the only African American to suffer from racism - what made his message more powerful and more memorable than anyone else? The Wright Brothers weren't the only ones to fly a manned airplane, so why do we remember them? The simple answer is that they all focus on the "why" rather than the "what" and "how" of their product or message. This is incredibly effective and it's helpful to be aware of which companies do this in order to better understand the behavior of the consumer.

If you're hanging out bored, watch this video and get enlightened.