Spencer explains how to figure out what the main motivation for the creation of your business is and why it is important to understand it. He shows how important stakeholder alignment on the ultimate goal is. Presented at Tech Vancouver Meetup February 2016 For videos of this presentation and more, visit our channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDokAu_fcM5Jha1Dz8JnVNQ Follow us: Twitter: https://twitter.com/techvancouver Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/techvancouver Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/techvancouver Want to see presentations like this live? Join our the TechVancoiuver.org meetup group.

1. Why Does Your Company Exist?
Spencer Thompson • TechVan Feb 2016

2. Who Am I?
Founded in 2012
10 employees
Mission: to help people find their best
career
~200M career recommendations given
since launch

3. Q:
Why Does Your Company Exist?

4. Should Philosophy Matter When Building A
Company?
New Founded Company
(Philosophy)
Employees
Investors

5. Confusion = people have a lack of understanding
of why something truly exists
New Founded Company
(Philosophy)
Employees
Investors

6. 1. To Make As Much Money As Possible (Berkshire Hathaway, Goldman Sachs)
2. To Solve A Personal Problem (Spanx, Starbucks)
3. To Fill A Market Need (Ford, Match.com)
4. To Solve A Social Issue (Tesla, Khan Academy)
5. To Utilize Personal Abilities (Pixar, Disney, Apple)
So Why Do People Start Companies?
Order Matters. Every company has a rank order of the
following philosophies.

7. If I Had To Guess What The Most Popular Order
Is…
1. To Fill A Market Need
2. To Make As Much Money As Possible
3. To Solve A Personal Problem
4. To Utilize Personal Abilities
5. To Solve A Social Issue

8. Why Is This Important?
Take time to think about the true reasons why you are doing what you are doing,
BEFORE you do it
Only work with people who understand and share your philosophy.
The best companies know who they are. More importantly, they know who they
are not
Each philosophy leads to different capital allocation, strategy and timelines
You want to build the best company/career for you

9. Thank You!
spencer@sokanu.com