What is startup mentality and why is it so important that every business, no matter how small or large, adopts it?
One of our truly compelling differences is the way in which we inspire our clients to adopt new ways of thinking about and doing business. We sum this up in what we have coined “startup mentality”
In short, no matter how small or large your company, the only true way to remain innovative is to persistently ask yourselves “what would we do differently if we started our business today?”
What the hell is Startup Mentality?
Well, it all starts with something we call “the consumer rebellion.”
As the world wakes up to the consequences of capitalism and human activities, consumers are asking more and more difficult questions about the products and services they buy. Most are becoming increasingly agitated by the negligent practices of large scale consumer brands who have, for many years, been guilty of committing crimes against nature, the net result being a global population that feels angry, upset or despondent about the future. We now face a global population that wants something done about it quickly!
To survive the “consumer rebellion”, incumbent brands must adopt new ways of thinking and doing, from how they produce their products and services to how they distribute, package and market them.
Incumbent category champions have never faced a bigger challenge from newcomers. Disruptors and challengers that aren’t weighed down with outdated infrastructure and sunk capital can take market share at unprecedented speed.
The newcomer disruptors need to convince consumers that they’re the solution. Forming an alliance is relatively easy at a small scale, but they quickly become victims of their own success as they grow into the giants that they once challenged.
Both large and small players have vital roles to play in the reversal of climate change, which is why we work with startups through to established market leaders.
However, the two are very different and need different advice depending on their life stage. The incumbent category champions tend to need advice on how to insulate themselves from agile, light footed disruptors who can rapidly erode their market share.
The insurgent disruptors, on the other hand, crave rapid penetration with a small but highly influential target market. This requires a direct connection with their consumer in order to drive large scale adoption. They also quickly find they need infrastructure to scale and that requires investment and experienced operators who understand how to grow globally.
Whether our clients are large or small, we advise all companies to adopt a startup mentality, because, at this point in time, the world is going through a radical change that requires all of us to adopt new ways of doing things sustainably in order to thrive, not just survive.
If you’d like to find out more about how you can instil a startup mentality in your organisation please do get in touch.
