So, to be purpose-driven you have to be a very serious company with very serious people, that is all about creating a fantastic business, with super engaged people and doing it first and foremost for the world – and not for the company itself.

We truly believe that companies are the absolute best catalyst we have to create a world in better balance. Where? Everywhere. To execute on that ambition, we feel strongly committed to help change the game dramatically and go beyond the traditional business metrics leaning heavily and one-sided towards profit. A healthy economy and profit are of course very important for any company, but it must never be the core ambition itself because it is uninspiring, lacks meaning and not a company created for real people in the real world.

Being highly ambitious and truly purpose-driven as is hard work but very realistic and it’s the only way in future business. The ambition of this platform is to support the people and companies that are committed to this, and always trying to bridge the human aspects, with the commercial engine and impact in the world.

That sweetspot is useful.  

Everything we do is rooted in some core principles that influences all of our work, all content on this platform and the way we co-create with people and companies.

The most important thing to understand and accept is that purpose is a business driver. It is not a Marketing or Public Affairs project but instead the core commercial and inspiring engine that sets the tone for everything that is done in the company. Previously purpose used to be the icing on the cake and something you did as an add-on. That is different now, because purpose is the cake itself for the most relevant and effective companies.

Having a purpose doesn’t do a lot to your business besides being able to print some fancy stickers. It is never the purpose itself that is cool, but your relentless pursuit, mobilization of people and conscious daily ways of acting on the purpose that makes a company cool. Most companies already have articulated something that sounds like a purpose and now the time has come for the same companies to live this purpose in everything they do, to be taken seriously in a world, where meaning and impact matters more than ever.

One of the biggest pitfalls in any company is a limited focus and consciousness about what a company really is and what it can do in in the world. There is a risk of becoming too focused of what the company would like to achieve and be in the future, rather than the contribution from the company – for the world. This distinction is very important, and we believe it is a much more relevant, inspiring and a much better idea to run any business on the core assumption, that at the end of the day it is not about the company. 

Traditionally business has been about success – particularly financial success. That is still very important but not at the core of what matters the most. To be relevant now any company must first and foremost commit to a clear and inspiring impact that goes beyond the company, impacting real people and real problems in the world. Every company must figure out what they are about and the start a deliberate journey towards creating this desired impact. They must find their own unique way of moving from the traditional business success – to a more inspiring way of being useful. When they do this, they are something for the world – and not just living in the world.

One of the main challenges for a lot of companies is that they primarely use one leg to walk. This leg concerns itself with increased sales, market shares, cost reduction, the streamlining of work processes, re-organisation, the cost of shares and so on. These are all crucial elements but doesn’t tell the full truth about the company. The other legs that is often less represented concerns itself with the people and the desired impact of the company and when you deliberately begin to walk on both legs at the same time, things start to move really fast, because without the initiative, creativity and passion of people it will be very hard to consistently get anything done that is highly relevant as a company.

All companies’ customers, partners, owners, shareholders and employees are human beings. Regardless of how good your business model is, how great the products and services you deliver are, how efficient your communication or sales are, one rules applies to all companies: If you do not understand people, you do not understand business, and the consequenses of implementing this fundamental truth is deliberate and focused work over a long period of time in any company.

One of the best proof-point for any purpose-driven company is when profit is being re-invested to protect and further develop the impact defined in the purpose. When you put profit where your purpose is you are making a serious commitment and betting on your own company and the impact you want to create in the world. You leave very little room for noice and disturbances and make a clear internal and external statement about what the company is all about.

Most of what you’ll find about corporate purpose are taglines, inspiration, storytelling and a massive lack of ‘how’. This could be because the field of purpose in companies is fairly new and also because ‘how’ is always the difficult part related to any kind of ambition. We believe that the conversation about the relevance and massive impact of being a truly purpose-driven company is over – and it is all about the ‘how’ now. That is why we have created this platform and what all of our efforts will be about.