Out Of Love

When a company makes a product, we as the consumer instantly know if it was made to make a profit, or if it was made out of love.  Ultimately all products are sold to make profit, but not all products are created with profit as their motif.  For example, compare Dove brand soap to the local artisan soap you find at the farmers market.  Dove soap costs less than half of what fancy art soap costs, yet people still like to buy soap made with love.

Not all products are commodities, not even soap.  Every product can be made with love, purpose, and meaning.  There's nothing wrong with making emotionless products, just don't expect to fool your customers with marketing.  We know.  We know when a smile is fake.  We know when an apology is hollow.  We certainly know when big brands pretend to be something they're not.

I guess the point is, if I had a choice between making commodities or making products out of love, I'd choose love.  Because we don't remember things without emotion.  Our feelings are at the core of our interaction with the world, and shutting them off to make an extra buck seems like a crime.  No one will remember how much money you make, people will remember you for what you do.  Focus on making products out of love and your legacy will remain.

Love is unique.  It's one of a kind.  It's why we're here.  And it's what we're here to do--make things out of love.  Write with passion, sing with sadness, design with inspiration, whatever it is, do it with purpose and meaning.  It might take longer, may be harder, but one things for sure, it will certainly be worth the effort.  Not only will the customer know, you will know.  Make things out of love and that's all anyone can ever ask.

What Makes A Great Startup

I see hundreds of startups.  I'm no guru, but after running an incubator for six months, I do see patterns.  Every company has unique DNA, but there's something magical about a great startup.  Like interviewing job candidates, when you speak to the right one, you instinctively know.  You get a feeling deep in your gut and your decision is made long before the interview is over.

The ingredients for a great company:

1. People
People are the blood of your company, carrying oxygen to all your vital organs.  If you have bad blood, you have a sick company.  Great companies keep their team healthy, positive, and happy.  Without this, you're dead before you begin.

2. Purpose
After you've curated a team of brilliant, honest, driven, creative, and humble individuals--give them purpose.  Whatever you're working on, make sure every person in your company knows the big picture, the end goal, "the why".  If people are the blood, purpose is energy.  You need both.

3. Devotion
People with purpose need commitment.  Companies that stand behind their products with unwavering conviction are instantly noticeable.  Devote to shipping beautiful art.  It's not something that happens overnight and it certainly doesn't happen by accident.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

Health is a combination of mind, body, and spirit.  Without health, nothing else matters.  The same goes for companies.  People give your ideas life, purpose provides the energy, and devotion fuels the soul.  Fail, improve, and above all, keep shipping.