‘Why’ It All Began
The ‘Why’ is the heartbeat of anything we set out to do, the core purpose or driving force behind any endeavour. It’s that first spark of inspiration, the thing that keeps you going when everything feels impossible, and the reminder of why you started in the first place. Without it, you’re just drifting – like a boat without a rudder.
Every choice we make has a reason behind it. Fancy Chinese food? You’ll probably order some sweet and sour chicken, chow mein or perhaps some veggie spring rolls. How about a holiday destination somewhere warm? You’ll likely end up scrolling for a beach, 30-degree heat, and clear waters.
If we break this down even further and categorise these actions, the ‘Why’ in what we do can usually be traced back to biological, societal, or psychological factors. Survival is an obvious one – food, water, shelter. But beyond this, we want more – purpose, fulfilment, connection. It could be what excites you, the relationships that ground you or the personal goals that you have to challenge yourself. As humans, we are naturally curious, ambitious, and always looking for the next thing to achieve. On a deeper human level, we crave the need to belong, to connect with others, and for some (hopefully you reading this article) to do something that leaves an impact. And also not everything is that profound – a lot of our actions are habitual and conditioned, whereby what we do or think is automatic. You probably are just reading this article and not thinking too much about how to read it, right? Gotcha.
For the founders, the entrepreneurs and the visionaries, the ‘Why’ is where it all begins. Maybe it’s a lived experience that inspired you, a skill you knew could solve a problem, or simply the desire to make your mark. When it comes to impact-driven ventures (non-profit and for-profit), the ‘Why’ usually runs much deeper. It’s not just about creating a product or service—it’s about genuinely making a difference, adding value to people’s lives, and proving the world can be better with your idea in it.
At the beginning, the ‘Why’ is everything – you fit every action around this to make the ‘Why’ work. It is so exciting and fuels those tireless days and nights. But, of course, as things grow, the chaos of other priorities take over, it is common that we lose sight of it. That’s when it’s time to pause, take a step back, and reconnect with the reason you began. If you don’t, you risk your mission swaying too far, and if it goes too far, it might not be retrievable.
‘Why’, What? Too Busy, Sorry
Picture this: a startup launched with a mission to bring clean water to underserved communities. The initial excitement was evident, the purpose crystal clear. But after a few years, the mission has taken a backseat to scaling operations, hitting revenue targets, and keeping investors happy. Somewhere along the way, the ‘Why’ got buried under the weight of day-to-day survival.
Now, take a non-profit organisation with a very different focus, say, offering mental health support to underserved youth. In the beginning, their work was intimate and grassroots – small teams of passionate therapists and social workers meeting directly with the kids who needed help the most. The ‘Why’ was simple and powerful: ensuring no young person faced their struggles alone. But as they grew, so did its challenges. Suddenly, they needed to secure funding for bigger programmes, altering their initial ‘Why’ to fit into the strict requirements of the grant or fund, hire more staff, and follow strict compliance requests to satisfy donors and regulators. The therapists and social workers, once in the action and at the heart of the ‘Why’, are now filling out paperwork, writing grant reports, and attending training on “donor relations”. The connection to the kids begins to fade, and as a result, so does the effectiveness of their programming.
Let’s face it—whether you’re running a startup or a nonprofit, the early days feel alive with purpose. It was likely just you, maybe a co-founder, and a scrappy, super-psyched nimble team ready to take on the world. You were bootstrapping, solving problems on the fly, and fueled by the thrill of building something meaningful. But as the venture grows, and as you are (hopefully) succeeding, reality catches up. Scaling and expanding your reach requires funding, hiring, and meeting the expectations of people who weren’t there when it all started. And eugh, isn’t raising money annoying? This is where the ‘watering down’ of the ‘why’ really becomes evident.
Suddenly, it’s no longer just about the clean water or the mental health programmes that once drove you. It’s about projections, proving impact metrics, evidence of MVP or PMF and tweaking your messaging to fit into grant criteria that barely align with your vision. The excitement of the ‘Why’ is replaced with your mundane operational tasks. The energy and clarity of the ‘Why’ get diluted, replaced with spreadsheets, pitch decks, and endless meetings… exhausting.
And as your team grows, so does the complexity. You’ve got more people, more processes, and more priorities. With every addition, there’s a risk of drifting further from the purpose that once inspired everyone. It is crucial for leaders and the founding members of staff to protect the ‘Why’ by ensuring every new addition serves the larger purpose, rather than detracting from it.
When you’re staring down a bank account running dangerously low, why would you think of the ‘Why’ and your mission? You’re scrambling. Begging investors just to take a chance to be in your investment round, telling them how this is going to be the best investment you will ever make? Calling up your cousin to just ask for a bit of cash to allow you to tide over the month? Calling your bank for the fifth time asking for a loan? Applying to grants and funds that don’t really fit but if you change a few things around maybe they will? Yep – you are probably doing all of it. Survival mode kicks in, and the ‘Why’ feels like a luxury you can’t afford.
If someone comes in and asks you why did you start all of this, you would probably tell them to F*ck off and give me some cash. And who could blame you? The passion that fuelled those early days has been ground down to exhaustion, and your dream of impact feels like just another job.
But here’s the hard reality: when the ‘Why’ gets lost, so does the soul of what you’re building. The shift from purpose to survival is understandable, but it doesn’t have to be permanent. Recognising this erosion is the first step toward reclaiming your vision and bringing the ‘Why’ back to the centre of everything you do.
We Want Our ‘Why’ Back
So, how do we get back to the ‘Why’? Well, first and foremost, the leader(s) need to be the ones pushing for it. After all, it’s their vision, their mission that sparked the whole thing. They’re the ones who rallied the team, convinced them, and showed them why this product, this cause, this ‘Why,’ is so crucial – and so achievable. Ultimately the ‘Why’ should be used as the North Star, essentially guiding the team in the right direction. Easier said than done, of course. But those who joined the leader in the beginning need to share the responsibility. It’s important for the team to come together, revisit the reason for ‘Why’ everything started, and reconnect with those roots. This can be the glue that holds everyone together, keeps activities aligned, and ensures that the ‘Why’ remains front and centre as the venture moves forward.
Further to this, it’s important to understand what has made you stray from the ‘Why’. What’s changed? Is it the people who’ve come on board? Have new processes been introduced that are pulling you off track? What decisions, made with the best intentions, have now led you too far from your original purpose?
It’s not just on the internal team, though. Stakeholders – funders, advisors, anyone with a vested interest – also play a role. They should be there to help further the ‘Why,’ not detract from it. Sometimes, those who’ve joined along the way may have motives or priorities that differ – obsession with scale, obsession with revenue, obsession with expansion. All of these can be valid goals, but it’s crucial that everyone is aligned on the core mission. If not, you risk diluting the very thing that gave you the momentum to begin with.
Yes, survival is crucial, but a business or organisation without its ‘Why’ is like a ship without a compass – adrift and vulnerable to being pulled off course. Balancing survival and purpose may be a challenge, but it’s also an opportunity. By keeping the ‘Why’ at the forefront, you ensure that your venture doesn’t just exist – it thrives, inspires, and makes a lasting impact.
Now it’s time to take a step back. Reconnect with your ‘Why.’ Rally your team. Reflect on the changes you’ve made and course-correct if needed. This is your chance to reignite your passion and realign your mission with the impact you set out to create. Let’s get back to the reason you started this journey in the first place – because it still matters.
