The Founder's Purpose...rapping it all up!

In my reading today, I came across two terrible rap videos that I'd like to share with my readers. Now, before you check out (as in, stop reading) hear me on this. These rap videos are terrible...I mean really terrible. In fact, they are so bad that they are likely even more effective because of how bad they are.

You see, these videos were put together by two leaders of two companies that I admire: Seth Goldman of Honest Tea and Gary Hirshberg of Stonyfield Farms. In both videos, you get the sense that the "rappers" believe in what they're saying and in the change they're trying to bring to the world.

In my New Venture Management class this week, we've been discussing the relative importance of Purpose in the founding of any new venture. Our discussion has been enlivened by considering how Purpose informs not only the market positioning of the new venture, but also provides a foundation, a "reason for being", and a "center" by which the venture rotates around while finding its place in the market. In many ways, Purpose acts as a mooring for the fledgling entity.

When watching the videos, what artifacts remain from the Purpose as stated in both companies' histories?

from the Stonyfield Farms website:

"We started on a farm in Wilton, New Hampshire in 1983. We began as a farming school that taught sustainable agricultural practices. Our goals were to help family farms survive and to help protect the environment."

from the Honest Tea website:

"A commitment to social responsibility is central to Honest Tea's identity and purpose. The company strives for authenticity, integrity and purity, in our products and in the way we do business. In addition to creating a healthy alternative beverage with a lot less sugar than most bottled drinks, Honest Tea seeks to create honest relationships with our employees, suppliers, customers and with the communities in which we do business."

In these videos, we see the espousal of Purpose and can vouch for the success of the businesses because of their reliance on Purpose as their reason for being.