“A company with no positive intrinsic value that helps people, customers and users will not survive.”
Michael Thiemann. Forbes Councils Member*
If you’re as interested in ‘what a start-up needs’ as we are, try a little experiment. Do a web search on the topic. And?
A business plan, a product, a market, marketing, finance… lots of ‘things’.
Now, search for ‘what makes for a successful business’:
Passionate leaders, strong vision, empowered employees, a positive corporate culture, social awareness, excellent customer service…
In a word, people.
As one astute commentator put it
The most important investment a start-up can get is not advice, funding, customers. It’s people dedicated to the same outcome, come what may …
As a new venture in the growing ‘green’ industries sector, we’d certainly second that statement.
Having been party to raising commercial funds over several decades, we’re now seeing a marked change in the resources people are investing and the return they’re looking for.
Be it suppliers or customers, there’s growing recognition that delivering real options for the future demands an unprecedented level of partnering and sharing. That the current, purely financial, proprietary approach to value, far from promoting progress, actually limits it.
And at Verdatica we’re benefitting from that awareness. On our journey, we’re finding partners across all disciplines, from academics working on new alternative-to-plastic materials to experts in circular supply chains, all keen to make a difference. People who recognise this demands both a truly collaborative approach, with open sharing of information across borders and industry sectors, and a fundamental change to business practices.
So, what about the ‘real’ returns? The ‘show me the money’. Isn’t investment all about what you get back?
Well, here’s where we’re seeing the greatest shift. Working together to achieve such a significant outcome requires relationships based on genuine trust, respect and empathy – true mutual interest. It’s simply not possible to pay lip service to these values as we have often done up till now.
‘Product love’ has often been cited as one of the best indicators of whether a startup will succeed – if customers are genuinely passionate about the product, sales and investment will surely follow. To quote entrepreneur Jo Malone:
“Passion, creativity and resilience are the most crucial skills in business. If you’ve got those, you’re ready to embark on the journey. Otherworldly enthusiasm is crucial for any founder, but they want the same from their team and their investor team as well”.
At Verdatica, we’re finding that working to rid the world of plastic is a very powerful ‘otherworldly enthusiasm’. One that attracts the growing number of people who recognise we need to change what and how we produce, use and dispose of products and are willing to invest their skills and energy to help make the change.
If you’re invested in bio-based materials and helping make a postplastic world, do get in touch. We’d love to meet you and share the passion: verdatica@verdatica.com
Image: Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire. Colombia Tristar
*‘What Sets Successful Companies Apart From The Rest? A People-Focused Purpose’ May 15, 2020
