When Simon Sinek introduced the concept of the “Golden Circle” in his TED Talk and book Start with Why, he revolutionized our understanding of leadership and branding. His central message was simple yet profound: “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. The goal is to do business with those who believe what you believe.” Sinek emphasizes that the most successful leaders and brands focus on communicating their Why. This clear sense of purpose forms an emotional connection, inspiring people to engage with, trust, and remain loyal to a brand over the long term.

Since then, marketers and branding experts around the world have been striving to extract this Why from their company’s history and strategy, transforming it into a compelling narrative that resonates with employees. For products to be developed, marketing strategies executed, and decisions made in line with this purpose, employees need to understand and embody it. But this is easier said than done — 15 years after Sinek’s TED Talk, only a handful of companies have managed to fully implement the Golden Circle concept. So, where’s the disconnect?

Some argue that the Why simply needs to be communicated more effectively to employees. Others suggest a stricter oversight of every touchpoint. But is it possible that employees struggle to embrace the proposed purpose because they don’t truly share it? Could the solution be deeper involvement and co-creation?

The Experiment: Finding the ‘Why’ Through the ‘How’ and ‘What’

NounsDAO embarked on a fascinating large-scale experiment in decentralized purpose-finding. This digital organization manages millions of dollars collectively controlled by its members — without a predetermined purpose. Instead, the responsibility of defining that purpose was intentionally left to the community. The idea was that Nouns’ “Why” would evolve organically through the “How” and the “What” — the projects the community chose to implement. Let’s dive into how it all began:

Nouns is an NFT project that launched in 2021. Each day, a unique, pixelated character (a “Noun”) is generated and auctioned. The proceeds go into the NounsDAO treasury, managed by the community. Members can propose projects to be funded with these resources, and the community votes on which proposals to support. Each Noun represents one vote within this decentralized autonomous organization (DAO).

Operating without any fixed guidelines, the organization empowers its community to decide everything. As a result, the projects funded by Nouns vary widely. They include a feature-length animated film produced by former animators from Pixar, Netflix, and Marvel; the social initiative “Nouns x Fitz Frames,” providing free glasses for children; a partnership with Bud Light that showcased the iconic Nouns glasses in a Super Bowl commercial; and even the support of a newly discovered frog species, named in honor of Nouns, with a $90,000 contribution.

“Behold, an infinite work of art! Nouns is a community-owned brand that makes a positive impact by funding ideas and fostering collaboration. From collectors and technologists to non-profits and brands, Nouns is for everyone.”

For some, the motivation to purchase a Noun — especially in the early days — was the thrill of being part of a creative, innovative, and visionary project. Others, however, were primarily driven by profit. During the NFT boom of 2022, the Nouns project gained significant traction, and at its peak, some of these tiny pixelated characters were worth over $2 million.

Over time, disagreements surfaced about Nouns’ strategic direction and how its funds should be used. Some members wanted to support social causes, while others were focused on maximizing the value of their NFTs. In 2023, tensions reached a boiling point when a guerrilla marketing proposal was submitted that some members felt contradicted the project’s original ideals. Although this group lacked the majority, the proposal was approved, leading to widespread frustration. In response, the idea of a “fork” emerged: dissatisfied members could split off and take a proportional share of the treasury with them. The first fork saw 56% of the members leave, taking around $27 million worth of Ethereum.

The impact was profound. This unexpected exodus not only weakened the DAO financially and undermined confidence in its long-term sustainability, but it also exposed vulnerabilities that arbitrageurs exploited for personal gain. Instead of resolving the conflict, this only fueled further division, leading to two more forks in quick succession.

(For a detailed breakdown of the forks and how they were exploited, read this article from the Center for Cryptoeconomics at Swiss Economics.)

So, did the Nouns experiment fail? Is it truly impossible to find a purpose that everyone can rally behind, even when everyone is actively involved? And what can traditional companies learn from the NounsDAO experience?

The Hidden Power of Values: Dynamics at Play in NounsDAO

At trib3s, we developed the Community Value Model to decode the complex dynamics within communities and identify behavior patterns. This model is rooted in Shalom Schwartz’s Values Theory, which outlines ten fundamental human values that influence our actions and perceptions. Values are deeply ingrained beliefs that trigger strong emotional responses when activated. They point towards desirable goals that motivate us to act.

The Community Value Model of trib3s applied to the NounsDAO

When we analyzed the projects and developments at Nouns, we found that four key values were driving the community:

• Universalism: This value was evident in the donation for the newly named frog species and the children’s glasses project, reflecting a concern for the well-being of people and nature.

• **Stimulation: **Projects like the giant donut installation in Los Angeles or the attempt to launch a 3D-printed Noun into space were motivated by the desire for excitement and novelty.

• Achievement: Marketing efforts, such as the Bud Light collaboration, aimed at building the Nouns brand and creating a sustainable business (success, influence, and social recognition).

• Power: Arbitrageurs who saw their NFTs purely as investment assets to maximize personal gain were motivated by the value of power and wealth.

The closer two values are within the circle, the more aligned their motivations; the further apart they are, the more contradictory they become. In NounsDAO, we see not only conflicting values but also values spanning three distinct categories: Openness to Change, Self-Transcendence, and Self-Enhancement.

It’s clear, even without the Community Value Model, that a group focused on social impact would struggle to align with a group focused on personal profit — their motivations are fundamentally opposed.

What happened in NounsDAO seems to reflect a natural pattern for digital communities operating outside traditional structures or hierarchies: members will continually break away from existing groups to seek or establish new ones until they find their “tribe” — a group of people who share not only their goals and interests but also their fundamental values.

From Values to Purpose: Insights Companies Can Draw from Nouns

A strong purpose is rooted in few, concise, and closely related values. For people — whether employees or consumers — to embrace a company’s “why,” they must share these foundational values. An employee who highly values security and tradition will never align with a purpose built on opposing values, no matter how well it’s communicated or how long you try to convince them.

Brands aiming to implement Simon Sinek’s “Golden Circle” and become a Love Brand, Human Brand, or Soul Brand must first identify their core values and embed them deeply within their Why. Only then can they attract people “who believe what they believe” — people who share the same fundamental values.

Authors: Sarah Nuenlist & Marc Olivier Leuzinger