We've grown a lot-and changed a lot-since the early days when we were just a few MBAs at the business incubator at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business. But a few things have stayed the same. When we set out on this journey to build a company that addresses something as big as global poverty, we knew that to get there, we had to be pretty disciplined about staying focused on who we are and what we stand for, through every turn, every growth spurt, and every accomplishment. So we took stock of the things that matter to us, boiled them down to these seven values, and hold ourselves accountable to them every day, in every decision we make.
Big problems require big solutions
There is Godzilla big and then there is "electricity" or "internet" big - innovations that change our lives forever. We are in constant search of these life-changing innovations, ideas that shift paradigms, change currents, and create hope where you didn't think it could exist. A billion is a big number and that's the number of people who live on less than $2 a day. We think that's reason enough to look for the next big light bulb.
Two heads are better than one
When people come together, good things happen. Ice cream and cake. Simon and Garfunkle. How do you think you got here? We believe in connecting the dots between great, smart people and organizations and we do it every day, in every way that we possibly can. Because re-creating the wheel takes time and money, and besides, work is more fun when you do it with friends.
Don't let perfect be the enemy of good
It's not that we don't think perfection is something that you shouldn't strive for. It's more that we don't let the desire for perfection get in the way of getting stuff done. We would rather be doing than thinking, acting than planning, proving it's possible than telling people we can. We do the best we know how, with the resources that we have, and try to finish each day leaving things just a little bit better than they were before.
Make good easy
We believe in two pretty basic truths: that most people want to do good, and that if you make something easy enough, everyone would be doing it. These two concepts, when put together, created a very straightforward strategy that has become our mantra-make it easier for people to do good and they will.
Doing good doesn't have to be boring
Somewhere between community service as punishment and Sally Struthers' PSAs we've been told that doing good is arduous, serious, and even depressing. We don't believe that it has to be that way. We believe that breaking the rules, stepping out of the box, and (gasp!) even having a little fun are perfectly acceptable ingredients to doing good. In fact, we think they are kind of important.
We are all just people
We don't see the world as first and third. We believe a hand up is better than a hand out and that the best way to offer it in Santiago is the same way you would in San Francisco-solid training, a steady paycheck, and a good dose of respect. Because from what we have seen, the context may be different, but mothers all over the world share pretty much the same wish-for their children to live a better life than they did. Shouldn't they have just as fair a shot as your mom did?
Never lose sight of the goal
For most businesses, the end goal is pretty simple-generate profits and make money. At World of Good, making money is a means to a larger end-using business to create positive social change. We have figured out a way to grow our social impact with our financial success, so that the more we grow, the more good we can do. So that's where we stay focused, every day, in all that we do.