Karina Hayat on Building Businesses That Empower Customers
One of the most rewarding lessons I’ve learned in business, alongside my co-founder and partner Zeeshan Hayat, is the importance of creating more value beyond your share. This idea goes beyond maximising profits—it’s about building something bigger than your bottom line. It’s a long-term mindset that fuels sustainable success, not just for the business, but for the people and industries it touches.
The Ripple Effect of True Value Creation
Take a moment to think about companies that have shaped industries—not just with their products, but with the vast ecosystems of value they helped create. Microsoft’s mission to put a computer in every home didn’t just sell software; it sparked an era of innovation that empowered businesses, individuals, and entire economies. The revenue Microsoft captured pales in comparison to the incredible value people created using their technology. The world as we know it was fundamentally changed by that vision, a sentiment that both Zeeshan Hayat and I admire greatly.
Similarly, Apple didn’t just create a phone when it launched the iPhone. It laid the groundwork for a revolution in mobile computing, unleashing creativity and entrepreneurship on a global scale. From apps to entire business models, the economic value born out of mobile innovation is immeasurable. Uber drivers, app developers, content creators, and countless others have built entire livelihoods on this foundation. The money Apple collects from selling iPhones is but a fraction of the impact that device has had.
The Entrepreneur’s North Star: Empowerment
For entrepreneurs, “creating more value beyond your share” is more than just good ethics; it’s the key to exponential growth. It challenges you to consider: How your products or services transform your clients’ lives or businesses? When you stop focusing solely on what you get and start focusing on how much you give, you unlock greater potential.
Take a B2B consulting scenario. Instead of thinking about how much you can charge, think about how much value your advice will create for the client. If your insights generate ten times the return on their investment, you not only win a loyal client, but you also build a reputation that attracts others. By leaving value on the table for others, you secure your place at that table for the long term.
Beyond Transactions: Creating Tools for Transformation
This principle stretches beyond pricing strategy. Think about the businesses that have revolutionized industries by simply providing the tools for others to succeed.
Every great technological leap—from electricity to the internet—created value that far outweighed the revenues captured by the companies at the centre of it. The value lies in what people do with these technologies. You don’t have to invent the next iPhone or light bulb to create meaningful value; you just need to empower your customers to achieve more than they ever thought possible, something that Zeeshan Hayat and I strive to do in our ventures.
The Power of Vision: See Your Customer’s Success
A company that truly embodies this principle doesn’t just have a vision for itself—it has a vision for its customers’ success. Companies like HubSpot don’t just sell marketing software; they teach their users inbound marketing strategies and best practices and how to become marketing experts. Through free resources, webinars, and a supportive community, HubSpot helps businesses grow and thrive in a competitive landscape. The small investment in their software becomes a gateway to acquiring valuable knowledge and skills that drive significant growth.
The best startups follow this model too, building platforms that enable others to grow. Dribbble, for instance, is a marketplace where designers showcase their work. The platform itself isn’t trying to extract maximum fees; instead, it provides designers with the opportunity to land jobs and grow their portfolios. The result is a thriving community that generates far more value than the nominal subscription fee designers pay.
The Path Forward: Build Legacies, Not Just Companies
Entrepreneurs have an unparalleled opportunity to build legacies by helping others create value on an enormous scale. The businesses that become legends are those that empower their customers to succeed far beyond the initial transaction.
What would your business look like if you aimed to create ten, fifty, or even a hundred times more value for your customers than what they pay for? What would it take for your product or service to become the foundation for someone else’s breakthrough? Zeeshan and I constantly ask ourselves these questions as we strive to grow our businesses.
The companies that have embraced this philosophy—those that create far more value than they capture—are the ones that rise to the top. They don’t just create profits. They create movements, revolutions, and long-lasting impact. And that, in the end, is the most prosperous path forward.
How can you exceed customer expectations and create lasting value in their lives?