Values, Vision, Mission

June 16, 2021

Founder Institute

Madeline Duva
mfduva@gmail.com
@mfduva
 Fact

Running a startup is
REALLY, REALLY, REALLY hard

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 So do something BIG

When you reach for the stars, you may not quite
get one, but you won't come up with a handful
of mud either.
Leo Burnett

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 Passion
If your not passionate about your idea,
get another idea…

•Passion will allow you to:

– See the opportunities
– Withstand the crazy hours
– Attract the best talent
– Inspire potential customers
– Convince investors/supporters
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 Building blocks

•Values
•Vision
•Mission

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 What you can control

• Your costs
• Your focus/efforts
And
• staying true to your values

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 Values
• Define the company
• Define your brand
• Define the culture
• Define the employee profile
• Define the hire and fire criteria
• Define your essence

Live and die by your values

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 Culture is f(values)
• It is FOUNDATIONAL
• Everyone should know your values
• Culture matters
• If you don’t create it, it will form itself…
…and it won’t be pretty…

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If you don’t know where you’re going,
you’ll never get there.

– Lewis Carroll 

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 Vision vs. mission

Vision = Leadership
Mission = Execution

Mission = Action. Now

Vision = Desired (future) result of action

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 Vision + mission

Mission - Vision = Wanderer

Vision - Mission = Dreamer

Vision + Mission = Chance to change the

world

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 Vision, mission

Where do you find them??

How do you define them??
• Why did you start the company in the 1st place?
• What problem/need are you trying to solve/fulfill?

Get together, turn off phones, find blank wall, have lot of
sticky notes

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 It’s all bullsh*t
Agreed, if:
• You do not honor your values
• You are not obsessive about your vision
• You are not relentless about your mission
• Nobody knows /believes in your vision
• You lose your passion
• You aren’t focused
• You hire the wrong people

But you have to ACT on your beliefs:

What you DO will outstrip your words

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 Secret ingredient: GRIT

Some people succeed because they are

destined to, but most people succeed because
they are determined to.
- Henry van Dyke

…and seizing your LUCK

Good Luck by Alex Rovira & Fernando Triasde Bes

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 How will you know…
If you got them right??

You feel it
Other people get it
You are energized, excited, emotionally attached

Will they change?

• Values, seldomly, to never
• Mission, each time you take a hill
• Vision, not as likely as your mission…
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 Good Luck!

mfduva@gmail.com
@mfduva

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