The first thing in the BI Triangle is MISSION. A great startup needs both a spiritual and a business mission, so what is the Mission? To be simple, it explains WHO you are, WHAT you do, and WHAT you do it for.
The Mission is very important because it brings the whole organization together to solve the problems and achieve a better future, not only for your organization but also for your customers. It aligns you and your staff’s focus on the works which bring the maximum impact. All your strategic plans, decision-making, vision are based on the mission.
Let’s talk about Virtual English Testing Platform For Everybody Flyer.us Mission: “Have FUN. Have a great future.”
Firstly, the mission starts from our belief “that learning and preparing for English exams is a long journey. To get to the finish line, children first need to know what the milestones for each stage are and persevere in focused practice to achieve the set goals. The motivation for children to do this is nothing more than the joy and excitement of taking each test. English helps open up many opportunities for the future of the young generation. And FLYER aims to help every child maximize their English skills with fun and excitement, through the application of technology, “gamification” models and outstanding graphics.”
Secondly, we deliver the belief to become our Mission.
Thirdly, our product follows the Mission. You can see it in the images below to see WHO you are, WHAT you do, and WHAT you do it for?
When you have the Mission. You can set the Vision for the company. The mission is WHO and WHAT, the vision is WHERE you go, HOW to achieve that goal. It describes what a startup wants to achieve in the long future (3 years, 5 years, 10 years).
Let’s see the example of FLYER’s Vision: “In 2025, help 10 million of the students can practice English in a FUN way”
Currently, FLYER helps more than 60,000 students in 1 year, and we have 4 years remaining to achieve that Vision.
From the Mission and Vision Statement, you can write down a simple philosophy of your company. It describes more detail about WHO, WHAT, WHERE, and HOW. We love Google’s Philosophy, you can read it here
Inspired by that, we create our own philosophy below:
“10 things we believe at FLYER (Source: Flyer.us)
1. Focus on the user and all else will follow.
FLYER starts with users and works backward. We work vigorously to earn and keep users’ trust. We obsess over users.
2. Ownership.
Every FLYER’s members are the owner. We need to think long-term and don’t sacrifice long-term value for short-term results. People act on behalf of the entire company, beyond just our own team. We never say “that’s not my job.”
3. Invent and Simplify.
We expect and require innovation and invention and always find ways to simplify. We’re are externally aware, look for new ideas from everywhere, and are not limited by “not invented here.” As we do new things, we accept that we may be misunderstood for long periods of time.
4. Are Right, a Lot.
FLYER’s members need to be right, a lot. We need to have strong judgment and good instincts. We seek diverse perspectives and work to disconfirm our beliefs.
5. Learn and Be Curious.
FLYER’s people are never done learning and always seek to improve themselves. We are curious about new possibilities and act to explore them.
6. Hire and Develop the Best.
FLYER’s leaders raise the performance bar with every hire and promotion. They recognize exceptional talent and willingly move them throughout the organization. Leaders develop leaders and take seriously their role in coaching others. We work on behalf of our people to invent mechanisms for development like Career Choice.
7. Insist on the Highest Standards.
FLYER’s leaders have relentlessly high standards; many people may think these standards are unreasonably high. Leaders are continually raising the bar and driving their teams to deliver high-quality products, services, and processes. Leaders ensure that defects do not get sent down the line and that problems are fixed so they stay fixed.
8. Think Big.
Thinking small is a self-fulfilling prophecy. FLYER’s leaders create and communicate a bold direction that inspires results. They think differently and look around corners for ways to serve customers.
9. Bias for Action.
Speed matters at FLYER. Many decisions and actions are reversible and do not need extensive study. We value calculated risk-taking. We built FLYER around the idea that work should be challenging, and the challenge should be fun.
10. Frugality.
Accomplish more with less. Constraints breed resourcefulness, self-sufficiency, and invention. There are no extra points for growing headcount, budget size, or fixed expense.”
We finish Lesson 1. You know WHAT and WHY a startup needs to have Mission, Vision, and Philosophy at the beginning.
I will continue with lesson 2.
Flyer.us is hiring a lot of positions in Sales, Marketing, Academic, Artist, Technical (Full-time and Remote). Apply here if you want to be a part of us.
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