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Ten Points for Success

NL - UK

The Red Harbour view is that a mix of ingredients make a company successful:

1. The company is based on a dream with strong values

2. Leaders and employees live the company dream and values

3. Growth is more like a journey than sticking to the plan

4. Continuous validation of the company and its products

5. Leaders and employees are skilled professionals

6. Many small steps create great results

7. Work in a sustainable pace

8. Learning is an integrated part of daily routines

9. Be courageous and transparent

10. Focus and do not give up

1. The company mission is based on a dream with strong values

The company dream is based on values that make the world a better world to live in. E.g. make the world more sustainable, make people healthier, save people from poverty, create safety, enable free speech, make people happy, make available to everyone, make things more convenient, ... .

This goes a step further than saying that a company requires a mission statement. We think that the mission needs to be connected to a set of company values that make the world a better world. The company shows its values in an authentic manner.

2. Leaders and employees live the company dream and values

This point may seem unnecessary if a company is based on a dream and strong values, but it isn't. This point is about doing what you say you are doing. The company dream and values are not for imaging, marketing and advertising purposes only. Any decision or action a company origins from the company dream and values. Continuously live your dream and values. This is especially important when challenged, e.g. if shareholders want more turnover or profit. Do you have the courage to withstand the pressure? If not, your values may not be strong enough!

3. Growth is more like a journey than sticking to the plan

You cannot control your environment. At the best you can be a great influencer. Focus on what you can influence. The reality is that the environment continuously changes. It is important that have to ability to quickly respond to change. Create long term and short term goals and continuously adapt. You don't really know what your customers want (and what they are willing to pay) if you haven't validated this with your customers. Growth is based on responsiveness to changing circumstances.

4. Continuous validation of the company and its products

This point is about continuously involving your customer. It’s also about not wasting money, time and energy on things that customers don’t want. You only want to build functionality that the customer wants to pay for. Otherwise you develop unwanted functionality. The only way to do this is to ask your customer in advance and continuously during development. Use metrics to validate the usage of the product. By not wasting any money, time and energy you have an important advantage towards your competitors.

5. Leaders and employees are skilled professionals

Skilled professionals are smart workers. They reuse work that's already done and apply industry standards. They only develop what the customer wants to pay for. Skilled professionals are excellent team players. It's the role of the company leaders create effective professional teams. A company working on a dream will attract the best professionals.

6. Many small steps create great results

Reduce development complexity and only develop what customers want to pay for. This can only be achieved by taking small steps. Customers cannot predict properly what functionality they will use. They do best for the functionality that's most wanted. Therefore work together with the customer and continuously ask for their most required functionality they want to pay for.

7. Work with fun in a maintainable pace

Developing a company is like running a marathon. Find the fastest speed you can endure for a long time. You deliver the best results and are most creative if you are in good shape. If you go too slow, you won't win. If you go too fast, you will get exhausted. Find the speed that fits yourself best.

Companies have a natural tendency to load themselves with too much work. Working in small steps and setting short-term goals will ensure the optimal pace for growth and development, and prevents an overload of work. An overload of work makes a company ineffective.

Take enough moments for fun. Fun gives you an additional amount of oxygen to breath and enhances your ability to perform. Take your company seriously, but don’t overdo it. Take enough time for fun. Work hard, play hard!

8. Learning is an integrated part of daily routines

If you want to be and stay successful you must adapt to the changing circumstances. This can only be done if you continuously learn and adapt to the changing circumstances.

9. Be courageous and transparent

Find your dream and your way to realize it. It's likely that your dream and the way to get there does not follow the mainstream. Therefore you need to be courageous to follow your path and deal with resistance. Find your own followers. Be transparent about your choices and others will understand and follow you.

10. Focus and do not give up

Creating a successful company requires strength. On the way of growth you will find many hurdles and unexpected circumstances. Successful leaders are able to deal with them and keep focused. Especially if they counter problems that other companies can't fix, they create a unique position in the market and become very successful. Focusing your mind is extremely important in achieving great results.