People don't buy What You Do, they buy Why You Do It

Simon Sinek wants to communicate something rather simple, but powerful. The "what" and the "how" of what you do is interesting, but unappealing to most people. To really connect with people, you need to communicate the "why" - why you do things, what is you fundamental belief that drives you to do things.

People don't buy What You Do, they buy Why You Do It.

Successful examples of "why" communication that he cites are Apple, Martin Luther King and the like.

I'd add Obama to the list, since his "Hope" and "Yes, We Can" were powerful "belief" connections with people.

I'd also cite Apple as a limited counterexample. Apple-skeptics like the Hatter have a strong "belief" antipathy to Apple's closed model. Google gets a strong "belief" connection going with their "open" approach to Android, which helps them transcend their technical deficiencies and limited app store in the short term.

There is a theory of diffusion of innovation that divides people into

• Innovators (2.5%)
• Early Adopters (13.5%)
• Early Majority (34%)
• Late Majority (34%)
• Laggards (the rest)

For your idea to succeed, you need to go beyond the early adopters, and make inroads into the Early Majority. For that, you need to build "why" or a "belief" communication channels with them.

People don't buy What You Do, they buy Why You Do It.

So when you build an organization, focus on the "why". Rally people around a common belief or a common longing that they get to work towards through the organization.

When you go out to find customers, try to connect with them at a deep "why" and "belief" level. What strong beliefs do you have that underly your philosophy that would connect with your potential customers? Use that to define your statement of your existence to them.

In the words of the French author Antoine de Saint Exupéry:

"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea."

An organization that yearns for the vast and endless sea will build a great ship.