“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
– Mark Twain
Our Inspiration, Our Values, Our Mission…
This is the last of my three-part return to the three things that drive Tahzoo to be great. Our Inspiration. Our Values. And today.
Our Mission
As I mentioned in previous emails, we are in a time of change, business is fundamentally changing. It is during such periods of transition that companies who are forces for change come to shape the world.
IBM (International Business Machines) led the world with the practical application of mainframe computing. For a long time, they have been one of the largest and most powerful technology companies in the world. Early on, they recognized the impact that technology could have not just on science, but also on business hence the name. It was this understanding that drove the company to greatness and, while they’ve had challenges over the years, they are still leading the market through innovation.
During the late fifties and sixties another technology, television, hit the market. TV led to the creation of many large and powerful companies. In particular, Madison Avenue was a product of, more than anything, television.
Advertising agencies, recognizing the power of a mass-market medium like TV, and understanding how to use the technology, created lasting strategic advantages for their clients. The ads they created are now part of our collective conscience Madison Avenue has shaped the world we live in.
Now, we’ve entered a new time. The rise of mega-corporations, consumerism, and technology have sterilized and dehumanized the interactions between people and companies. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the way Madison Avenue has applied mass marketing principals to the digital experience. We hold Amazon and Netflix in great esteem because they can suggest products that other people have been interested in and we call that great user experience.
Tahzoo is founded on the idea that we can do better.
My dad still goes to the bank to get cash rather, not the ATM. When I ask him why he explains that he likes to see his friends and then rattles off the names of all the tellers in the bank. An important part of the human experience is the connection with our community and between one another. From the beginning, humans have built marketplaces in the center of town so we could purchase from our favorite merchants, but also establish a sense of community and to fully participate in our culture. Unfortunately, the poor implementation of technology has diminished our culture and our communities.
I don’t see us returning to some 1950s-style world in which everyone purchases from the neighborhood store the efficiencies of globalization are too compelling to be ignored. I do, however, see how Gabi is friends with the UPS man who every day delivers the many goods we’ve purchased online. It’s good to see that we are still able to have humanity in how we buy and sell. Technology can create rich and meaningful interactions between consumers and companies. If Tahzoo can innovate and lead to a new and better way of doing business, we can shape and change the world.
Tahzoo aspires to build a company that brings some humanity, some relevancy, and some good, old-fashion customer service back to how people buy and sell goods.
That is our mission.
Let’s go be great!
Brad