I recently read an interesting book called Start with Why by Simon Sinek. Although I sometimes found it repeating itself and oversimplifying reality, I can still recommend reading it because I found it very inspiring and thought-provoking.

The book argues that most companies and most people only focus on WHAT they do and HOW they do it, but very often we all lose WHY we are actually doing things in the first place. We forget our true purpose behind our everyday struggles. And that is a problem in itself, which can lead to even more significant negative consequences. This made me wonder and think more deeply about why I actually work at AerinX.

WHY – HOW – WHAT

First, I try to summarize the book’s essence in a nutshell. The messages and the concepts in the book can be applied to individual efforts, companies, governments, or organizations, but for simplicity, let’s focus on companies only:

• WHAT is what a company actually does on a daily basis and what the outside world experiences of it: its products, services, marketing efforts, PR, customer support, etc.
• HOW are the actions and ways they actually produce and implement these WHATs: resource selection, processes, values, and general company culture, etc.
• WHY is the core belief, the purpose or mission behind the whole company, and what gave birth to the company initially.

Unlike WHAT and HOW, WHY is very often forgotten if it existed at all in the first place. There can be many different WHATs and HOWs for the same WHY. Also, WHAT and HOW can and should change along the way, but WHY is and should never (or just very rarely) change.

When the WHY is lost or corrupted, we can easily end up doing things just for the money or the power, in a corrupt, toxic environment, focusing solely on shareholders while treating both customers and employees unhappy. We’ve seen this happening with many brilliant, noble, and thriving companies throughout history.

This is why it is essential to contemplate WHY, start with WHY, and don’t lose focus of WHY. A solid and noble WHY can inspire us, guide us, and get us through hardship and adversity.

My WHY at AerinX

This concept of WHY made me wonder why I am actually working at AerinX. What is it that I genuinely love and value about it? What gets me out of bed every day and pulls me through difficulty and seemingly impossible challenges week in and out for more than 7 years now?

To figure this out, I started with what are definitely not my true reasons. So let’s put a few things out of the way: I couldn’t care less about aviation, aircrafts, let alone aircraft skin inspections. Nor do I care much about mixed reality. I know this sounds bad, or rather very bad, since AerinX builds a mixed-reality-based aircraft skin inspection solution, but this is the truth, sorry. I’ll make it up to you if you keep reading, I promise! 🙂

To come a little closer, I found answers that have some truth in them. Building an own company and a novel, innovative solution provides tremendous experience (and so-called ‘career advancement’) in many areas and skills. And, of course, I shouldn’t forget about the promise of getting rich with this company someday. Yes, work experience is important, and I definitely want to get the freedom and independence of being rich, but these alone wouldn’t get me out of bed day in and out for years.

As I kept looking even deeper, I found some more profound and resonating answers. What this company and this project really mean to me, what inspires me the most, what gives me enough motivation to keep working when there is nothing but doubt and uncertainty is to build something significant, something big. To be a part of something bigger than myself. To prove that we can, that together it is possible. To inspire each other that we can, and also encourage others that they might be able to do it as well:

• To build something in a field (aviation) that is entirely unknown and alien to me
• In a field (aircraft maintenance) that hasn’t changed much for 50 years
• With a technology (mixed reality) that is completely new, and nobody really knows its true potential and best applications yet
• Of scarce financial and human resources
• With barely any experience in building a company
• From a small country in Eastern Europe with a traditional ‘can’t do’ attitude

To build something out of nothing. Something that never existed before, something nobody considered or tried before. Something valuable, something that people love to use, something that makes people’s lives and work easier and more fun. And to provide services and act in a way that they feel comfortable, respected, and happy with. Something that goes way beyond what was thought to be possible. To build something that is against the odds. To push the limits of possible.

And just as importantly, to keep our sanity along the way, be happy, be nice to each other, be respectful and honest to each other. To have fun, to grow together personally and collectively along with the product. And at the end of the day, to be satisfied and proud of what we achieved together.

To share the experience that this is the adventure of our careers or rather lives, regardless of the results! To me, this is definitely the case!

If I stop for a minute to look back, I am very proud of what we have achieved together, of myself and of all of you, my dear Mates! I am proud of your attitude and of your work and accomplishments! And it is not about reaching some level of product or service but about repeating the same feat of solving and building something new over and over again!