1. Visions for Founders BY GABRIEL YORAN

2. Be a great place to work where people are inspired to
be the best they can be.
Bring to the world a portfolio of quality products that
anticipate and satisfy people's desires and needs.
Nurture a winning network of customers and suppliers,
together we create mutual, enduring value.
Be a responsible citizen that makes a difference by
helping build and support sustainable communities.
Maximize long-term return to shareowners while being
mindful of our overall responsibilities.
Be a highly effective, lean and fast-moving organization.

3. Whose vision is this?

4. The Coca-Cola Company

5. This is total bullshit.

6. Vision (and Mission).
Do you need these?

7. A suggestion for how to
come up with a concrete
vision for a founder.

8. “By the end of the decade, we will put
a man on the moon.”
John F. Kennedy, 1962
“A computer on every desk and in
every home.”
Bill Gates, 1980

9. These visions say what
needs to be done, but they
don’t say why.
They are ideological.

10. “We will go to the moon to prove that
democracy is better than
communism.”
“We must have a computer on every
desk because then we have a lot of
operating systems to sell.”

11. You are about to found a
company.
You need to have an idea of
the future.
You DO NOT need ideology.

12. A computer on every desk
does not say why it is good
to have one there.

13. But the „why?“ is important
- especially for founders!

14. How to come up with a
helpful vision.
A simple two-step
approach for founders.

15. 1.
Why are you doing what
you do?
2.
What is your proposition?

16. When operations is on
how we do someting, and
management is about
what we do, then vision is
why we do it.

17. The first part of your vision
is about why you founded
your company.

18. Why did you found your
company?

19. It’s not just great ideas that
make great entrepreneurs.
It’s endurance.

20. But how do you endure?

21. „The best reason to start an organization
is to make meaning. Meaning is not
about money, fame or power. Instead,
meaning is about making the world a
better place, increasing the quality of life,
righting a wrong and preventing good
from ending.“
Guy Kawasaki

22. Even if you fail, at least you
failed doing the right thing.

23. So your vision should explain
why you are working on the
right thing.

24. The second part of the
vision is about your
proposition.

25. Why do you need a
proposition?

26. Lack of focus can kill a
startup. You cannot be
everything to everyone.

27. You will run into situations
where you will have to
make decisions.

28. Decisions always need to
be made when they can’t
be made.

29. So you will need a guideline
that you can refer to.
(„Why are we here again?“)

30. A proposition is NOT a
slogan, it is not a catchy
claim you can use in ads.
It is a clear and true
description of your offering.

31. First, find the core of your
offering, of your
proposition.

32. The core is the
irreducible

33. Hide data in plain sight.
First version in 1997: Could
only hide one file at a time.
No folders, no hard disks, no
nothing.

34. In the light of an imminent
encryption ban:
„Encryption is just not
enough, hide your data“
James-Bond-like UX

35. Vision & Mission:
Encryption is not enough.
Steganos makes easy-to-
use privacy software
for consumers.

36. Interesting people nearby.
First version in 2007:
People in a list - no maps.
Only one photo per user.

37. Vision & Mission:
A world with aka-aki
would be more social.
aka-aki helps making the
discovery of a lifetime.

38. A helpful vision is a good
reason why you are doing
something plus what you
are doing exactly.

39. It’s meaning plus
implementation.

40. meaning is
The
in the
irreducible

41. They call it the
„value proposition“

42. Someone must be in
charge of every word in the
Value Proposition.

43. Easy to use N Concept/UX/Support
privacy software N Development
for consumers N Sales/Mktg

44. 1.
Why are you doing what
you do?
2.
What is your proposition?

45. Put these two points in two
sentences.
Put people in charge.
Measure their performance.

46. Use your vision as a
guideline, as a template.
But: Be open for emergent
strategies.

47. There will be weak signals
you will need to listen to.
They could become
stronger and render your
vision useless.

48. Microsoft does not want to
have a computer on every
desktop today.

49. The vision also works as a
cornerstone for your
positioning and branding.
(Next week)

50. Homework:
Why did you found your
company?
What is your proposition?

51. Thank you
Gabriel Yoran
@gabrielberlin