I just bought a new pair of running shoes — beside the fact that it is pretty baffeling that the best running shoes come from companies like Saucony or Brooks and not the big, global brands like Nike or Adidas (which in itself is a great story to talk about); I actually was delighted to read Saucony’s company mantra on their shoe box. In general I am not a fan of mission statements and the like - too often they are just shallow and meaningless. Saucony dares to be different - it reads:

“At Saucony we exist for runners. Runners inspire us, bring us new ideas, force us to be better. They drive our design and engineering. They keep us competitive . They keep us hungry. They keep us honest. [...] We love our products and we run in everything we make. This focus and passion fuels us as we strive to create the best running shoes and apparel on the planet. [...] At Saucony, a good day is when we get to run. A great day is when we inspire someone else to run.” (Emphasis from Saucony)

This is one of the most inspiring mission statements I have read in quite some time. Think about it for a moment. Are you able to formulate a similar mission statement for your company? One which doesn’t sound hollow or meaningless (or probably worse: is complete bullshit)? One which inspires both your employees and customers?

Trying to come up with a honest, inspiring mission statement is one of the most grounding experiences you can go through with your startup. Try it. Seriously.

Posted in Entrepreneurship, Quote