The Soul of Startups

CHAPTER 1The Gen Z Leader

THE FOUNDER CULTURE

The term “startup” is a term used quite loosely in today's society. Individuals ask, “What exactly is a startup?” and “What are specific types of startups?” Over time, I have come up with a simple answer. A startup is a novel business that aims to create a service or product that can be somewhat seamlessly scalable. The goal is to develop larger profit margins.

A startup product or service should aim to fix an issue in the market and fill a critical need. You could even create a new market entirely, which is the beauty of startups. These businesses achieve a lot of growth and can be transformative in five years or less, which is appealing to someone interested in starting a business.

One misconception people seem to have is that startups have to be in the tech industry. This misunderstanding is not valid. However, a large portion of them are, so it's understandable people would think this way. Startups that aren't software‐based tend to have physical services or products that require economical solutions for creation.

Creating a company typically involves one individual or a group of people. These people are “founders.” In the beginning, they have a vision of what they think that company can be. It is that vision that helps create the organisation's culture. In some instances, the founder, or founders, are highly intentional about developing a particular culture. One example is a business where teamwork or innovation is valued. ...