5 Takeaways For Content Creators From "Start With Why"
I opened Simon Sinek's book "Start With Why" the morning of December 26th 2022 and finished it that evening.
It is only the third non-fiction book I've read in a single day. Before finishing the book, I had always focused on what I was doing and how I did it, but rarely thought about why. The books is written for leaders, which even in solo-preneur companies like mine, is critical for success.
Every business, but especially those trying to grow a business online with content creation, would do well to fundamentally understand their WHY.
Takeaway 1: WHY Before What And How
"People don't buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it." (pg. 41)
The people online we take advice from all understand why they are posting that advice online. They have a core mission to help others get to where they are now, not to simply build a following to sell sponsored posts and get rich.
Takeaway 2: Aim For Innovation, Not Novelty
Novelty is different to be different, but innovation changes industry and society for the better.
Simon's isn't discouraging trying different things, but shifting the focus from the thing being different to the thing being better. When Apple launched the iPhone, they didn't make a different phone just to stand out, but to shift phones to a better level.
Takeaway 3: Destination (What) < Journey (Why)
"If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse." - Henry Ford (pg. 60)
Focusing on winning a prize or hitting specific subscriber number puts too much emphasis on the destination, which can leave people aimless once they get there. Shifting focus to the journey keeps you grounded in your WHY, no matter what other milestones you ultimately get to on your way to success.
Takeaway 4: Authenticity Comes From WHAT Aligning With WHY
"A WHY is just a belief... HOWs are the actions you take to realize that belief. And WHATs are the results of those actions–everything you say and do." (pg. 67)
Thousands of content advice videos are posted every day that say a version of, "be your authentic self," but Start With WHY was the first book where someone identified what that means. People see what you do and how you do it, but belief in your WHY and conveying that to your audience is how your authenticity oozes through.
Takeaway 5: Run The Celery Test Before Taking Advice
We constantly hear advice on how to be better entrepreneurs, achieve more success, or post better content, but Simon argues that not all good advice is good for you.
In The Celery Test, we see that someone is given advice to buy rice milk, M&Ms, and celery at the store, but if they buy all 3, they don't achieve their goals. If they go back to WHY they are seeking advice and realize that it's to eat more healthily, they should only buy the celery.
