The Upwardly Mobile

Most entrepreneurs worth their salt have something interesting to say about why their  company matters. In the private sector, they can tell you that their product is cheaper, more efficient, and better designed. In the public sector, they can tell you why their service is eco-friendly and provides opportunities for the underprivileged. These entrepreneurs are certainly right.  But they’re also boring. You, however, don’t have to be.

The best leaders understand that it’s not enough to have an excellent product or service.  Even in industries with bleeding-edge technology, there’s somebody else who can do the same thing as you can, and somebody else ready to copy your design, steal your marketing, and sell what you’re selling at a fraction of the cost.

What then, differentiates you from the rest of the crowd?  It’s about the things you do that genuinely add value for your customers.  It’s the way you interact with your customers to deliver an experiences that exceed every expectation.  It’s the guarantee you make that your product will work right the first time, or every time without hassle. It’s how you actually design things that the user can’t forget.

As Seth Godin puts it, it’s all about being the Purple Cow.