I have to say… I'm not sure social media has ever provided me with such delight as it did when receiving this unsolicited compliment. David Lancefield, very grateful for your kind words, but I'm even more grateful that you seem to have gleaned that my email was something worth sharing. It's tricky… I've been on the inside of this company since I started it about 14 years ago, and those of us here certainly feel that it is special. But it's hard to convey that to the outside world, so perhaps suffice it to say, I (and the team) really appreciate the pat on the back. While I do think what we are doing at Peak Design as unique, a look under the hood will reveal no strokes of genius. It more closely resembles a simple application of the things we were all supposed to learn on the playground in elementary school. Be good to the people around you, and most likely… They will be good to you. That's not all there is to it, but that's a lot of it. pd
Founder, Strategy Shift I Helping C-Suite Execs transition to new roles and make the best possible start I Strategic advisor and coach I HBR Contributor I LinkedIn Top Voice 2024 I LBS Guest Lecturer I Podcast Host
I'll admit to a few eye-rolls when I read some statements on culture and ethics. A bit too much, divorced from reality, theatrical. But then I read this one. I just bought a tripod from Peak Design on the excellent advice of my good friend Richard Bistrong. I received the usual admin emails, containing shipping details and then the receipt. I didn't expect to receive an email from the company founder Peter Dering. It felt personal, real. No fluff. Giving me a clear sense of the company I had just bought a product from. I thought it was rather brilliant. Here are some statements I liked: - 'We have no revenue goals or product launch deadlines. No wasted time with budgets and Powerpoint decks to appease outsiders. We take as much time as necessary to design gear that we're confident is literally the best out there.' - 'We ensure that the workers in our partners' factories are treated fairly. They're paid higher than average, with safe working conditions and humane hours.' - 'We treat our customers as peers. If you ask us a question, we'll tell you the answer, openly and honestly.' - 'We're 100% carbon neutral, and we started a nonprofit that's helped 330 other businesses (and counting!) do the same. We donate 1% of our revenue to environmental causes. - 'Lastly, we speak up for what we believe in, and when we do, we seek to understand all sides of the issue. We think everybody should do that.' *** How well do you articulate your purpose and culture, especially to your customers? #strategy #leadership #culture #purpose
