A framework for lasting success that's often applied backwards or not at all

If companies are built on the foundations of a vision, and purpose and bring those to life through their brand, and product, the rest follows

As a founder, I often think about what it takes to build a long-lasting company. I’ve had the opportunity in my career to work at one of the most recognized brands in the world, Visa, and several startups of varying sizes and levels of success. I distilled my perspective and learnings over the years on what makes companies successful in the long run, into the framework pictured above.

The foundations of a successful company are its Vision and Purpose. Vision describes where the founders see the company many years down the line and what impact it has made. The Purpose is the “Why” of the company, its raison d'être, the reason to be. As Simon Sinek eloquently puts it in his TED talk about the Golden Circle, it is not “making money”. It is something you truly believe in and what your customers will relate to in a way that no matter what your company makes/sells, they are bound to buy it because they believe in what you believe. Articulating a company’s vision and purpose is the single most important ingredient of success, and often the hardest.

Once the Vision and Purpose are known, the building blocks of success upon this foundation are the Product and the Brand. They are a duo. Neither can work stand-alone without the other in the long run. The Vision and Purpose drive key decisions on how the Brand and Product come to life and embody the company’s core ethos. The Product and Brand become the interface between the company and its customers. Every touch point, whether it is a marketing message, a sales email, or a product feature, furthers the company’s vision and purpose and strengthens the brand. The product itself needs to meet the basic criteria of solving a problem that matters to the customers.

These interactions with the Product and Brand form the next layer up - Customer Experience. How do you make the customer feel with every interaction they have with your brand and product? Does it inspire them (think Nike)? Does it make them happy (think Disney)? Does it make them feel special (think BMW)? Every brand and product duo defines the customer’s experience. Consistency and alignment with the company’s vision and purpose are critical at each touch point.

Once you’ve nailed the Product/Brand duo on top of a solid foundation of a Vision and a Purpose, everything else follows. Your logo and color palette will reflect who you are, and so will your content, and your ads. Paid advertising will work significantly better at converting prospects into customers. The product and customer experience will embody the values of the brand and lead to better retention. Overall, it is the perfect recipe for lasting success.

However, it is not the easiest path to pursue. Brands aren’t built in a day or through tactical channels such as PR or social. They are built over time with consistency in execution across the customer lifecycle. Hence it is extremely difficult for early-stage startups to focus on this when search ads can start bringing in paying customers within days (assuming there is product-market fit). Or when logos can be designed and color palettes created through an agency within a few weeks. And, who has time to write down formally the company’s vision and purpose when you are fighting fires every day?

But the truth is that it is never too early to start focusing on the company’s Vision, Purpose, and Brand. Product typically is the first thing founders start with, but will eventually need to embody the brand and the company’s beliefs.

If you are a founder, product leader, or marketing leader at a startup, and have 3 hours where you can get the founders and a few key people in a room, I strongly recommend going through the 3-Hour Brand Sprint by Google Ventures (templates for the exercise provided by Human Deluxe). They will be the 3 best-spent hours and you’ll be glad you did it. You will be amazed at the clarity it will provide on the foundations of the company and its brand.