This article was originally published on the WP Engine Blog.
Calm your frenetic TL;DR twitchy-Twitter-brain for five minutes, and let some Chinese philosophy wash over you.
Thirty spokes join in one hub
In its emptiness, there is the function of a vehicleMix clay to create a container
In its emptiness, there is the function of a containerCut open doors and windows to create a room
In its emptiness, there is the function of a roomTherefore, that which exists is used to create benefit
That which is empty is used to create functionality–Lao Tzu, Chapter 11, Tao Te Ching, ~600 BCE, translation by Derek Lin
An ancient brainteaser asks: If a wooden ship sails around the world, but along the way each board rots and is replaced by new boards, such that by the end of its journey every board has been replaced, is it the still the same ship? Did “it” really go around the world?
Lao Tzu suggests the answer is “yes,” because the functionality of the ship — the “emptiness” created by those boards — is the essence of the ship.
What about yourself? Your boards are being replaced every second — trillions of cells splitting, growing, dying. Are you the same person you were ten years ago? Physically, not really. In DNA yes (mostly), but identical twins share DNA and are not the same person. Can you articulate precisely what resides in the emptiness created by your body, or by the electro-chemical pandemonium sloshing inside your skull?
What about a startup? Is a company of 2 people and 150 customers the “same company” as with 150 people and 25,000 customers? In tangible ways it’s not the same, but in its emptiness lies the essence and purpose of this motley crew of human beings.
So the interesting question for a startup is: What is constant? What doesn’t change as we grow, and thus binds us together in this journey? If we “go around the world,” changing out every board, what has been conveyed?
Can’t be about product features, they change, grow, and die like cells. Can’t be about marketing prose, that’s molded by A/B testing into market-resonance. Can’t even be people — the team’s composition changes, and those who hang in for the entire voyage personally change. Can’t be the metrics, they’ll change by orders of magnitude. Can’t be the logo, or even the name. Can’t be the office space, Lao Tzu already pointed that out.
So, what doesn’t change? Whatever it is, that is what defines the startup and it’s purpose, and is the answer to the all-important question: Why should anyone — employees and customers both — join the founder on this journey, sharing this very personal responsibility?
At WP Engine we call these constants our “values” — our inviolable constitution. When we need to make a tough decision, our values determine the outcome. For example, if in some choice we must either lose money or do what’s right for the customer, we will do what’s right for the customer. Or if we have to decide whether to fire someone who is exceptionally skillful at his job but is dishonest or works for himself instead of for the team, we will always fire that person.
In fact, a clear agreement of core values is how you empower everyone in the company to act like an owner. Can someone in their first week of tech support decide whether it’s OK to give a customer a large refund or spend extra hours to go above and beyond to fix something? If you have a framework of values which clearly points to that as the right course of action, then someone can make that decision without approval-chains and meetings and debates. Isn’t that the definition of empowerment? And doesn’t that sound like part of the solution to “scale?”
This is why it’s so important to encode your company’s values on paper. For us, we literally put them on the wall and we all signed it like the US Declaration of Independence. You have to ensure everyone not only agrees to them as a condition of employment, committing them to memory due to external requirement, but because in their bones they already embody those values, and therefore will naturally continue propagating them to those around them and those who follow.
“Company Culture” is the output of living your values. It’s never perfect, either as individuals or an organization, and at any given time you’re falling short at some aspects of the culture, aspirationally trying to live up to your own expectations. That’s healthy.
The three companies I founded before WP Engine were successful financially and technically, but I never thought about things like culture and values. That was a mistake. Today two of those companies still exist, and after a decade have continued to grow, and yet, without a higher purpose, a truly important mission for our customers and dedication to our employees, maybe who cares?
Why so dismissive of that success? Because what sort of jobs did that create? Were people happy and empowered? Mentoring and being mentored? Did they build a career they’re proud of? Did they feel that this time in their life was not wasted?
I don’t actually know, how sad is that? Financial success is the means, not the ends. Without financial success the company isn’t sustainable, so that component of success is absolutely necessary. But “money doesn’t make you happy,” and it certainly doesn’t make other people happy, or lead to a fulfilling, meaningful life.
What does? Answer that question, revealed by your culture in the emptiness created by your values, and you’ve truly done something important with your life, and for others’ lives.
What is in your emptiness?
24 responses to “In its emptiness, there is the function of a startup”
Our (neversettle.it) emptiness is our culture. Between the three founders combined this would be our 9th startup and when we started down the journey we decided to head down a different river. Instead of shooting for an exit we decided that ‘if’ we could build a people first, never settle type of culture we would never want to leave. So our destination changed to be ‘lets leave a legacy’ because if we could create that culture we all recognized we would never want to exit off that ship.
It is considering exceptional, Their own assumed sachems are usually just a very similar imagined techniques boggling remarkable mainly because structuring business, In search of very best made use backlinks? Additionally Are not able to frequently hold on to sequence that can regularly web page is actually situated for you personally? Together with all-around close to practically nothing to supply ex- Now we have truly witnessed your present several strategy connections advocate site through which you need to own! To find out actually push this sort of pay some one to write your paper
We are a newly launched social network, http://www.blankchat.com, how can your page help us kickstart our business? We would appreciate your feedback! Thanks! :)
nice. :)
شركة الصفرات لتسليك المجارى بالرياض
شركة الصفرات لتنظيف الخزانات بالرياض
شركة الصفرات لعزل الخزانات بالرياض
شركة الصفرات لرش المبيدات بالرياض
شركة الصفرات لمكافحة الحشرات بالرياض
شركة الصفرات لكشف تسربات المياه بالرياض
شركة الصفرات للتنظيف بالرياض
شركة الصفرات لتنظيف الشقق بالرياض
شركة الصفرات لتنظيف الفلل بالرياض
شركة الصفرات لنقل الاثاث بالرياض
شركة الصفرات لنقل العفش
nice article, thanks for sharing!
———
custom papers at http://proessaywritingservice.com
good tips, more such articles
My blogspot: http://fivebestessaywritingservices.blogspot.com/
Good article. Many useful information. Find as well, a lot of interesting information on my blog
http://courseworkwritingservice.org/
This expression reflects wordpress service online. Marketing that to move up the ladder of success and achievement, they must forget the past, repress it, and relinquish it. Startup Use the rest of your essay to discuss these points in more detail. My blog http://bestbookreport.org
خدمات جده
شركة تسليك مجارى بجده
شركة كشف تسربات بجده
شركة نقل عفش بجده
شركة مكافحه حشرات بجده
شركة تسليك مجارى بجده
شركة تنظيف فلل بجده
شركة تنظيف مجالس بجده
شركة كشف تسربات بالرياض
شركة نقل وخزين بالرياض
خدمات تنظيف بالرياض
شركة رش مبيدات بالرياض
شركة نقل عفش واثاث بالرياض
شركة مكافحة حشرات بالرياض
شركة تنظيف فلل بالرياض
شركة تنظيف مجالس بالرياض
شركة تنظيف مجالس
شركة تنظيف مسابح بالرياض
شركة تنظيف خزانات بالرياض
شركة تسليك مجارى بالرياض
خدمات الدمام
خدمات نقل عفش بالدمام
كشف تسربات بالدمام
شركة مكافحة حشرات بالدمام
شركة تنظيف فلل بالدمام
شركة تنظيف مجالس بالدمام
شركة تسليك مجارى بالدمام
خدمات الخرج
كشف تسريب مياه بالخرج
نقل عفش بالخرج
مكافحة حشرات بالخرج
شركة تنظيف فلل بالخرج
شركة تنظيف مجالس بالخرج
شركة تسليك مجارى بالخرج
خدمات المدينه المنوره
شركة تسليك مجارى بالمدينه المنوره
كشف تسربات بالمدينه المنوره
نقل عفش بالمدينه المنوره
شركة مكافحه حشرات بالمدينه المنوره
شركة تنظيف فلل بالمدينه المنوره
تنظيف مجالس بالمدينه المنوره
6555
Today we get some new images that show the sneaker in a completely new light that should have fans of the Kobe 11 excited. Seeing this upcoming Kobe 11 up close we can see that the sneaker utilizes black flyknit on the front half of the shoe that transitions over to white/grey around the ankle and heel. The Swoosh is done in white and features the same textured look that we saw on the Achilles Heel kobe x for sale colorway that released this past weekend. Finishing things off is a translucent black/grey outsole.Nike Basketball has a massive collection that will be releasing very soon. Their annual Black History Month is scheduled to drop on January 18th, which just happens to be Martin Luther King Jr. Day.Just less than a week away till its official debut, a gallery of detailed images featuring the upcoming Nike Kobe 9 Elite “BHM” is showcased, to better understand and appreciate the silhouette’s intricate design.<br Cheap Kobe 9 Elite High />How many of you picked up the Nike Kobe 11 All Star last week? Maybe you like it but you’re waiting on a price drop? We can’t blame you cause $220 is pretty steep.The next colorway of the Nike Kobe 10 that was expected to release was the purple Elite Low “Opening Night” colorway that we took a look at last week.The more we see the Nike Kobe 9 Elite “Christmas” the more excited we get for the sneaker nike womens free to release. After dropping overseas, the anticipation for the coveted Christmas Kobe 9 has been at an all time high. Scheduled to release this month, our wait is almost over!The start of the NBA season is exactly one week away. This year we’ll be be seeing the Womens Air Jordans 3.5 (healthy) return of some of the game’s biggest stars such as Kevin Durant, Paul George and of course Kobe Bryant.Overall, this variation of Kobe Bryant’s tenth signature shoe is a tribute to his championship success. Dressed in Black on one side, followed with bright Red on its lateral portion, a multicolor flyknit is utilized on the toe which essentially merges the bold and understated design. Additional Yellow accents throughout further pronounce the model, while five golden rings are located on the heel.The Air Max 1 is headed for stores in a cool, classically-styled new colorway. Not only that though, the clean kicks also herald the return of a beloved feature.Yes, the Nike Air Max 1 Cheap Kobe 8 System MC Kumquat, like a couple of new colorways over the last few weeks, will utilize the miniature Swoosh near the toe, an old standby thats generally cherished by AM1-heads. Here, that logo is rendered in orange, which sets off a crisp white upper and pale grey leather overlays, including a Safari-printed mudguard. Orange on the top-eyelets and an embroidered heel-Swoosh tie in with the mini mark, meanwhile, balancing things out in style.The Nike Air Max 1 Kumquat is now hitting Asian NSW accounts. Nike Kobe 9(IX) Womens A US launch isnt yet confirmed, but could well happen any day now. Stay tuned.One version of the Kobe 10 that we’ll probably never see Kobe lace up on the court is the EXT Mid version that is intended for off the court use. So far we’ve seen three colorways of the Kobe 10 EXT Mid with the white/gum, black/gum and the University Red pair. Now it appears that we’ll be getting a fourth pair to add to the collection Nike LeBron 12 Low that comes in a liquid gold upper. The “x” perforations appear on the upper in this new colorway just like its predecessors. Gold laces, a white midsole and a translucent outsole wrap things up on the latest Kobe sneaker that is currently expected to release on November 6th?If for one reason or another you missed it, the sneaker you are looking at above is the newest creation from Nike for Kobe Bryant. At the moment we know that it’s scheduled kobe high top to release around mid-January and that there is an accompanying black colorway that should be following this gold version.