Supporting Start-Ups to Lead with Purpose It happens all too often that a lot of time is spent on deciding what products to develop or how to design them without having taken the time to ponder on the “why” first. That is, thinking through the vision before taking any action. The CSCP is supporting Wuppertal-based start-ups to identify their purpose as a starting point to creating successful and impactful businesses. 15 start-ups and entrepreneurs from the Circular Economy Incubator, also known as Circular Valley, joined the workshop to better define and further mature the vision behind their work. Circular Valley is a Wuppertal based start-up incubator that hosts an accelerator programme to support start-ups and entrepreneurs to develop successful and impactful circular economy business models, products and services. As a collaborating partner, the CSCP contributed to the programme by conducting a training to help start-ups develop their vision and purpose. “Most start-ups begin their journey by developing a product or service and building a business model around it. Intuitively, of course, this is the right way to start. However, as you build collaborations, develop a prototype of your product, test it, and talk to potential clients, you see that your product is evolving and changing again and again over time. In parallel, your team starts to grow, which affects the forms of collaboration and the way employees identify with the company.”, notes Thomas Wagner, Project Manager at the CSCP. He adds that, “In this fast changing and uncertain environment, having clarity about the purpose of your company and the vision that you are aiming for gives you orientation and direction. It helps you to inform your strategic decisions, keep your team together and have a concise story to tell to potential investors, clients and partners”. The next workshop on the topic of purpose and vision will be held in collaboration with the Gründerschmiede Remscheid on the 23 September 2021. The workshop will focus on the culture for innovation and how new forms of collaboration, leadership, self-organisation and value-orientation can enable start-ups to grow into successful companies. Are you curious to hear more? Join the workshop by registering here. Do you have questions or would you like to exchange further on these topics? Then, reach out to Janna Prager.