ENTWRX shares Evernote's vision for a
100-year business
June 10, 2014
In a world where things move incredibly quickly, the seemingly unlikely notion of a 100-year business is becoming increasingly attractive. A business that goes about its daily activities in the expectation that the values and aims set down today will still be in place in the next century sounds like something of an oddity.
However, it's a concept close to the heart of Phil Libin, Evernote CEO, and one he credits with the success of his business.
In an interview with Doeswhat.com, he said: "Because Evernote got very popular in Japan, we started doing a lot of work over there. ... Some of our partner companies were these Japanese companies that are more than a 100 years old, and they're still innovating and we felt really inspired by that.
"Let's try to combine the best of both worlds. Let's build a company that has the long-term planning and thinking of some of these great Japanese companies, combined with the best of the Silicon Valley startup mentality."His version of this view is to keep a close eye on a few simple objectives at the heart of everything Evernote does. He said: "Our goal at Evernote is to help the world remember everything, communicate effectively and get things done."
If he is right and Evernote is here for the long-haul, it will join an increasingly select band of other organisations that have traded for more than a century.
In the 1920s, the average lifespan of a company listed in the S&P 500 index of leading US companies was 67 years, whereas it's just 15 years today. The world of enterprise is not a place where the weak or ill-conceived will thrive, therefore, it's fair to assume that the long-stayers have something different about them.
Customer service is crucial. Whatever the product, a genuine and responsive concern for the customer goes a long way to the kind of loyalty that a business needs to survive.
And while history and legacy are important concepts for a business that's been around for a long time and plans to continue trading, firms that last tend also to be ones unafraid of exploring new territory. Equally, organizations that have ambitions to exist for more than a few decades must forge strong relationships with the communities they inhabit.
Jim Hackett, CEO of Steelcase, an office furniture manufacturer founded in 1912, said: "Today's customers need more than great chairs. They are more mobile, global and interconnected than ever before, so we've created products that sync with technology and facilitate collaboration."
"We've lasted such a long time because we're committed to developing products that are well-suited to how humans work, engage, and collaborate.
While ENTWRX is a relative newcomer to the market, the team behind the game-changing technology has been collaborating for a decade and a half. They are fuelled by the same set of long-game values that inspire the world's most durable companies.
"Looking at the things that really matter - now and in the future - is an important way of thinking for us. It's very easy to be focused on the here and now, but considering our long-term core values in everything we do makes a huge difference," said Kashif Khan, VP Strategic Sales at ENTWRX.