Keep your eye on the cathedral....
A man stops at a huge construction site and asks one of the workers, 'What are you doing?'. The worker replies 'I'm laying bricks'. Still puzzled, the man asks another worker 'What are you doing?'. This man replies 'I am helping to build a cathedral that will glorify God for centuries'.
Building something new is hard work that will take everything you have got. If you're just doing it for money or personal gain, you will probably lose steam. But if you get up every day thinking Today I am helping to make the world a better place you will find the inspiration and energy to get you through the tough times.
Enshrine your purpose
When Hannes and I realised that Fundamo should focus on the needs of poorer people who were both underserved and overcharged by traditional banks, we talked about coming up with a Bill of Rights for the people we served - saying things like "I have a right to affordable banking. I have a right to access my banking anywhere via my phone. I have a right to easily and inexpensively transfer money to my family and others". We never did actually write these down, but the principles stood - and today Fundamo has become Visa's worldwide development centre for serving emerging economies.
Become part of the sharing economy
Ventures that exist only for gain become part of the rat race - a ruthless, competitive, zero-sum world that pits one against another. But when a venture serves a deeper purpose, it becomes part of the sharing, collaborative economy of like-minded players who help each other to work together for a better world - what Rebecca Solnit calls the Iceberg Economy. Being part of this ecosystem has become one of the joys of my life as I work with organisations across South Africa who ask 'how can we help' and 'how can we work together'. You leave the rat race and become part of this world when you serve a deeper purpose...
Neil Hinrichsen is the founder of Koi. An entrepreneur all his life, Neil has cofounded two startups both of which were acquired, and is now working to develop the next generation of entrepreneurs in SA through his Koi platform, comprising a methodology for startups, classes, coffee sessions, mentoring, the KoiTips newsletters and a thriving online group. He loves working with young entrepreneurs who want to change the world. Neil also helps Microsoft with their BizSpark programme for top startups, provides mentoring at the Innovation Hub and other incubators, consults with corporates, advises the CSIR in South Africa on commercialising research, is an accredited specialist with the University of Pretoria and serves on the advisory board for Stellenbosch University's LaunchLab incubator. On the personal side he's involved in youth ministry and mentoring township teenagers. Learn more about Koi: KOI GUIDE | EMAIL neil@koistrategy.com
Read more articles by Neil....
