Start with Why - By Simon Sinek

Here are my thoughts, favorite quotes and ideas from Start with Why which is one of the most read books by Entrepreneurs, though leaders and anyone who is looking for a change. It is a book to be read and thought over, to discover the source of one’s own motivation.

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About the book:

Start with Why as the name suggests talks about finding the raison d'etre or the purpose of existence for a person, organization or an idea.

There are only two ways to influence human behavior: you can manipulate it or you can inspire it.
— Simon Sinek

Bird’s Eye View

The book talks about the ideologies of people who revolutionized the fields that they belonged to. It explores what motivated them to become the harbingers of change and why and how they were able to inspire others to follow them.

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Who should Read?

The book is a recommended read for people with an entrepreneurial mindset. It is a good read for thought leaders. It is a suitable read for all those who are pondering over making a change in their lives.

Key Takeaways

  1. People don’t buy what you do rather they buy why you do it.

  2. Your why needs to be consistent with what you do and how you do it.

  3. Your clarity of purpose can inspire people to follow you.

  4. Your “WHY” can influence the tipping point.

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“There are leaders and there are those who lead. Leaders hold a position of power or influence. Those who lead inspire us. Whether individuals or organizations, we follow those who lead not because we have to, but because we want to. We follow those who lead not for them, but for ourselves. This is a book for those who want to inspire others and for those who want to find someone to inspire them.”


-Simon Sinek

Book Summary

The book talks about personalities and organizations that have survived, thrived and inspired people because they knew their why. The “why” is the cause that the person/ organization believes in. All their actions and inactions are in accordance with their why. As discussed in the book, Apple’s why was to challenge the status quo and Microsoft’s was to put a PC on every desk. Both these brands have been successful at what they set out to do. The major reason behind this is that they knew what they were trying to accomplish.

Another concept that the book explores is the idea of “The Golden Circle”. It talks about the dependence of what a company does on the how which in turn depends on the why. Every organization knows what they do, some know how they do it but few know why. Why is the purpose/ cause/ belief of an organization. The idea person who is usually the Entrepreneur is the one who ponders over the why. The “Why person” usually depends on a “How person” for bringing the why to life. Together they figure out the “what” that needs to be done for the success of the idea or the organization. True innovation changes the course of industries. What one does in that case becomes a tangible proof of the what the organization believes in i.e. the why.

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Leaders inspire people to follow. they make them believe in the cause. The book also talks about how some businesses use manipulation as a tactic and in some cases it works but manipulation doesn’t inspire loyalty in customers, adherence to your why does. Everything that you say and do needs to be consistent with the why.

My Ideas on reading the book:

In this age of information, with innumerable apps, media outlets and other attention demanding devices it is easy to get distracted and try out every tactic in the world to further our cause, idea or business. In such a scenario it is even more important to keep in touch with why we started our journey. Not every tactic or manipulation is consistent with our cause and when we are interested in pursuing something for the long term, it is incredibly important not to get swayed by the latest shiny object or idea but rather stay steadfast in the original quest.

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Steal Like An Artist-By Austin Kleon