Painting a compelling picture for yourself, your team, your potential investors and your customers is a powerful tool to edge you closer to success.  It is doubly important as a startup.

You need to define the why.

So many businesses define the what – their product or service – and it normally focuses around a description of the features.  This is a great practical tool to have on hand, but the why is a much more compelling story, a much more compelling offering.

The why normally has an emotional hook.

This emotional hook helps people understand the product or service at more instinctive levels.

The why should be robust enough to withstand new product features, tweaks to the service offering, scaling into new markets.

The why should help you map your product and growth strategies.

The why should help you identify which markets to move into.

The why should help you know which customers are next on your hit list.

The why should help you identify things to say no to.

What is your why?

If you can’t answer this question easily, without choosing and discarding words, sit down now and map it out.  Drill down to the essence?

Why do you mean so much for your customers?  Why did you start the business?  Why is it still making a difference?  Why will you be relevant in 5 years?