Have you ever heard of Samuel Pierpont Langley?

At the turn of the century, when the quest for a “flying machine” was running like today’s social media revolution, he was the guy everyone thought would develop the first airplane. He had the money and backing from the US government, held a seat at Harvard and worked at the Smithsonian, and hired the best people money could find. The New York Times followed him around and reported on his every move.

But, in the end, he lost to Orville and Wilbur Wright. Two guys with no college education, who funded their dream from the proceeds from their bicycle shop.

The TED talk above makes the case that this is because the Wright brothers were pursuing a central idea, a why, where Langley was pursuing, well, the cash.

It’s well-worth watching the TED talk, and asking yourself: what is the why of my business? Especially after watching the first part of the TED talk, where he discusses Apple . . . versus everyone else. The cash, he says, is an effect. The why is, well, why people buy in the first place–and most businesses can’t articulate their why.

It’s a thought-provoking talk, and one that got me thinking about Evolve Media’s why. Yes, we do interactive and web development and design and marketing and all that stuff, and yes, we like to think of ourselves as a leading innovator, but why do we do what we do?

And I’m pleased to say I have a reason, a why.

But first, a little history: from the start, we’ve never intended to be the biggest agency on the planet, nor have we embraced the growth-at-all-costs, burn-the-interns model that so many operate on. We’ve always been balanced, fair, and–at the same time–forward-looking. We were doing web development when other agencies didn’t even know what it was. We did web marketing before the term solidified. And we were one of the first into the social media fray.

But our why isn’t progress for progress’s sake. We recommend cutting-edge marketing where it’s appropriate, and warn clients away from it when it isn’t.

So, what’s our why? It’s this:

In an era continual marketing change, you need an honest and forthright partner to help you sort it all out, and make the most of it.

Have you wondered why your conventional agency continually pushes print and TV, despite the fact that online marketing is more effective? Have you ever wondered why everything is an app for your iPhone app developer? Have you every wondered why “everyone’s gotta be on Facebook!” for your social marketing firm?

Because, for the most part, companies sell, well, what they’re selling. If they do conventional, they sell conventional. If they do social, they sell social.

We don’t. We’re not partial to any one strategy or tactic, old or new. We’re happy to tell you what won’t work for you, and warn you away from it–even if it takes money out of our pockets.

Stupid? Maybe. But that’s our why. What’s yours?