Start With Why
by Alex Ng
Simon Sinek’s exploration of why great leaders inspire action by starting with purpose rather than process or product.
The Big Idea
"People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it. The most inspiring leaders and organizations communicate from the inside out - starting with their purpose, then explaining how they achieve it, and finally what they produce."
Key Insights
The Golden Circle
Most organizations communicate from outside in: What they do → How they do it → Why they do it. Inspiring leaders reverse this: Why → How → What. The 'why' speaks to the emotional decision-making center of the brain.
Apple doesn't say 'We make great computers.' They say 'We believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently. The way we do that is through beautifully designed, user-friendly products. We happen to make computers.'
The Biology of Decision-Making
The 'why' appeals to the limbic brain, which controls emotions and decision-making but not language. This is why great ideas 'feel right' even when we can't articulate exactly why. Features and benefits appeal to the neocortex, which analyzes but doesn't decide.
You've probably made a decision that 'felt right' despite the pros and cons not supporting it. That's your limbic brain responding to a 'why' - a sense of meaning or purpose.
The Law of Diffusion of Innovation
To reach the mass market, you must first win over the innovators and early adopters (about 15-18% of the market). These people make decisions based on beliefs and values, not just features. They spread your message to the majority.
TiVo failed despite having the best product because they marketed features to the mass market. Apple succeeds because they market beliefs to early adopters, who convert others.
The Split
As organizations grow, they often lose their 'why.' The founders leave, success breeds complacency, and the company becomes about what they do rather than why they exist. This 'split' causes decline even in dominant companies.
Walmart's decline began when Sam Walton died and the company shifted from 'serving communities' to 'maximizing shareholder value.' The what remained; the why disappeared.
Chapter Breakdown
Part 1: A World That Doesn't Start With Why
Most organizations operate from assumptions - manipulating customers through price, promotions, fear, or novelty. These tactics work in the short term but don't create loyalty. There's always a competitor willing to go lower or do more.
Sinek asks: why do some companies inspire loyalty while others only achieve transactions?
Part 2: The Golden Circle
Every organization knows what they do. Most know how they do it (their differentiating value proposition or proprietary process). Very few know why they exist beyond making money.
The 'why' is your purpose, cause, or belief. It's why you get out of bed, why your organization exists, and why anyone should care.
Inspiring leaders and organizations communicate from inside out. They start with why, then explain how, and finally describe what. This appeals directly to decision-making centers of the brain.
Part 3: Leaders Need a Following
The Law of Diffusion of Innovation explains why you must first win true believers - the 15-18% who make decisions based on values, not features. These early adopters spread your message to the majority.
Martin Luther King Jr. didn't have the best twelve-point plan for civil rights. He had a dream - a 'why' that attracted followers who believed what he believed.
Part 4: How to Rally Those Who Believe
The 'why' must be authentic and consistent. Every communication, product, and action should reinforce it. The 'how' types bring the 'why' to life through processes and systems. The 'what' proves the 'why.'
Part 5: The Biggest Challenge is Success
Success creates 'the split' - when organizations forget their 'why' and become defined by their 'what.' When founders leave, when metrics replace meaning, decline begins even at the height of success.
Take Action
Practical steps you can implement today:
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Articulate your 'why' in one clear sentence - why does your organization exist beyond making money?
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Review your marketing: are you leading with features (what) or beliefs (why)?
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Identify the early adopters in your market - what beliefs and values do they hold?
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Check whether your organization has experienced 'the split' - is the original purpose still driving decisions?
Summary Written By
Software Engineer & Writer
Software engineer with a passion for distilling complex ideas into actionable insights. Writes about finance, investment, entrepreneurship, and technology.
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