In the first part of the setup phase, we explain what we need to establish, how, what for, and in what order. While explaining this, the very first thing we need to clarify is the difference between Purpose, Goal, and Dream. These are frequently confused with one another. However, separating them and being aware of the distinction is important. Individuals and institutions knowing this distinction within themselves is the first principle and critical starting point of setup.
So, what do these concepts actually mean?
Purpose expresses the reason for existence. The purpose of coming into being must certainly be known when establishing an institution, business, struggle, structure, or personal path. Purpose is essentially a very easy concept to define if the development stage is fully realized. However, if we haven't completed the development stage with confident steps, finding it is not easy. Ultimately, every organization and individual has a purpose of existence. This is directly related to the needs and demands of society and the impact of environmental conditions, just as much as it develops from the person's own reality and skills—as we see in the ikigai example.
Finding the purpose of existence requires full development and awareness. Individuals or institutions must absolutely know what they exist for, what their existence contributes to society and humanity, and for what purpose they will sustain their existence before setting out. This may sound utopian and idealistic for a for-profit company, a financial institution, or other similar examples, but its necessity and application remain unchanged in every field. Coca-Cola, Nike, NASDAQ, Berkshire Hathaway, SpaceX, and many purely profit- and revenue-focused structures are perfect examples of this. Companies and individuals who do not know their purpose cannot explain the causality or the motivation behind the structures they establish, the steps they take, and the decisions they make. Former Nike marketing director Rob Strasser's 'Principles' memo is one of the best examples of this.
Our second concept is Goal. Among these three, the most fluid and variable one, which must also be the most realistic in the short term, is 'Goal'. For instance, indicators like 'we will achieve 100% growth by the end of this year', 'we will increase our profitability by 30%', 'we will enter the top 10 in market share', or 'we will completely get rid of inefficiencies in operational processes' are examples of correct goal setting. A goal represents the closest and most comprehensive milestone our eyes can see. Individuals or companies must set clear goals annually, monthly, or at any intervals they desire.
Our final concept is Dream. For individuals, the Dream should be the most enjoyable, the most beautiful, and indeed the second main source of motivation. A dream, of course, shouldn't be a guide on its own. But during the setup, as individuals and institutions build their stairs with their goals and purposes of existence, they must see the highest point they can climb, as far as their vision reaches. If a food brand exists solely with goals and purposes, it will get stuck at some point. However, 'having a product sought after at every dinner table in the world', 'being a jury member at the World Taste Awards', or 'being the world's most preferred food brand' are right dreams. This represents the pinnacle of what you have established.
These three concepts are guides that must absolutely be known and understood before starting to lay the bricks. The North Star for individuals and institutions must be these three concepts.
So, as always, what are the examples of these in our reality?
Nike's "Principles" memo is actually the clearest proof of how Purpose turns into a compass in a moment of crisis. In 1977, the company, still bearing the name Blue Ribbon Sports, faced a $25 million customs tax penalty, and its existence was under threat. Right in this moment of uncertainty, marketing director Rob Strasser sat at his desk and wrote a ten-point text about why the company existed, and taped it to office doors and desks. The text itself was not a crisis plan — it was proof that the company's purpose of existence needed to remain clear even in the tightest spot. If Nike is a company exceeding 135 billion dollars today, one reason for it is that this text is embedded in the company's DNA.
Patagonia's story shows how Purpose can become clearer over time. Founder Yvon Chouinard established the company in 1973 as a mountaineering equipment workshop; the purpose was not clear at that time. However, in 2018, the company distilled its purpose of existence into the sentence "We're in business to save our home planet," and showed the result of this in 2022: The Chouinard family transferred the company's voting shares to a trust and the rest to a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting the climate crisis. By saying, "Earth is now our only shareholder," they placed the purpose of existence, not the profit motive, at the highest point. This is one of the rare examples showing that when Purpose truly becomes clear, it can even change a company's ownership structure.
Johnson & Johnson's Credo, written in 1943, is a textbook example of how Purpose can save lives in a moment of crisis. In 1982, when seven people in Chicago lost their lives because of Tylenol capsules laced with cyanide, the company's CEO, James Burke, based his decision on a single document: that Credo, written forty years ago, which gave priority first to the consumer, then to the employee, then to the community, and lastly to the stockholder. Even though there was no legal obligation, the company recalled 31 million bottles at a cost of 100 million dollars for that period. Market share dropped from 37% to 7% — but thanks to the clarity of purpose described in the Credo, the brand completely recovered within a few years. If the purpose hadn't been written beforehand, such a quick and clear decision couldn't have been made during a crisis.
Goal examples
Tesla's Model 3 story is one of the most striking examples showing how sharp and how fragile a Goal can be. In early 2018, Elon Musk promised to reach 5,000 vehicles a week on the production line — a clear, dated, numerical goal. The company missed this number repeatedly, had to run the factory around the clock, and even went as far as setting up the production line in a temporary tent. But exactly because of this, the goal worked: if there had been a vague rhetoric of "we will grow," a tension to create this mobilization within the company would not have been born. A goal is a source of tension that mobilizes the organization even when it is not reached.
John F. Kennedy's 1961 Congress speech is perhaps the best example in history of how a Goal works on a national scale. Kennedy set the goal of "landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth before this decade is out" — not a vague rhetoric of "we will be pioneers in space," but a goal with a specific date, outcome, and measure. That day, NASA didn't even have a clear plan on how to achieve this. But because the goal was clear, the entire institution — from its engineers to its budget — focused on the same milestone, and in 1969, the goal was achieved. The power of a goal lies in clarifying the destination, not the method of realization.
Dream examples
One of the examples that best explains the power of the Dream is Walt Disney's vision for Disneyland. What Disney set before himself when building the park was neither a profit goal nor a concrete definition of purpose — being "the happiest place on earth" was purely a dream. Investors saw the risk when financing this dream, but decades after the park's opening, today this same dream still stands behind every new Disney venture, every themed hotel, and every franchise decision. Disney's goals and profit margins change from year to year; but the "happiest place" dream has never changed.
The SpaceX example shows how a Dream can guide a company for decades. When founding the company, Musk did not set a profit projection or market share goal — he dreamed of making humanity a multi-planetary species. This dream alone does not define a clear task for any engineer; but it is the horizon line behind every step the company takes, from rocket recovery to Mars colonization plans. Even though goals (the next launch, the next contract) change year by year, the dream remains the same — and this is exactly what explains why the company takes such aggressive risks.
All these examples show us one single thing: Knowing the Purpose, Goal, and Dream means knowing in advance the path we will walk and the pace of those walking that path. This is what assumes guidance in moments of crisis, increases sustainability, and enables us to keep walking even through difficulties.
