Can you tell which of these tech company mission statements are real?

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Can you tell which of these tech company mission statements are real?

Mark Zuckerberg

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A tech company is never just a tech company.

One of the curious things about the current Silicon Valley mindset is that every startup and business out there, no matter how prosaic, has taken on a duty to change the world. File-storage companies are reinventing work; online shops are disrupting economics.

There's a lot of upside to mission-driven companies - they make for great places to work, and their founders often care passionately about making a real difference. But they sure do spout a lot of guff in the process.

We've trawled through the S-1 filings (documents businesses prepare when they sell shares to the public) of some of the biggest tech companies around to come up with our favorite examples - from workplace credos fortified with soaring rhetoric to grandiloquent corporatespeak projected through a visionary lens.

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Keep reading and see if you can tell which ones are real and which are fake.

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1. “Our mission is to unlock the potential of human creativity.”

1. “Our mission is to unlock the potential of human creativity.”

It’s real! It comes from Spotify’s recent S-1.

It’s real! It comes from Spotify’s recent S-1.
Spotify's S-1 »
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2. “We are globalizing trust, and localizing relationships.”

2. “We are globalizing trust, and localizing relationships.”

Fake. It sure sounds positive, though.

Fake. It sure sounds positive, though.
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3. “Our vision is to build a better food system.”

3. “Our vision is to build a better food system.”

Real. This one comes from Blue Apron, a meal-kit delivery service.

Real. This one comes from Blue Apron, a meal-kit delivery service.
Blue Apron's S-1 »
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4. “Our vision is to create economic opportunity for every professional in the world.”

4. “Our vision is to create economic opportunity for every professional in the world.”

Real! LinkedIn has some lofty aspirations.

Real! LinkedIn has some lofty aspirations.
LinkedIn's S-1 »
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5. “[Company] has a singular vision, and a multitude of ideas.”

5. “[Company] has a singular vision, and a multitude of ideas.”

It’s fake and entirely meaningless.

It’s fake and entirely meaningless.
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6. "Today's user wants access to all their files, from all of their devices, instantly. That's why cloud-based is the Holy Grail."

6. "Today's user wants access to all their files, from all of their devices, instantly. That's why cloud-based is the Holy Grail."

Fake — it's from the hit HBO show "Silicon Valley."

Fake — it's from the hit HBO show "Silicon Valley."
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7. “Our mission is to reimagine commerce in ways that build a more fulfilling and lasting world.”

7. “Our mission is to reimagine commerce in ways that build a more fulfilling and lasting world.”

It’s real — Etsy, the online marketplace.

It’s real — Etsy, the online marketplace.
Etsy's S-1 »
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8. “A toy company for adults.”

8. “A toy company for adults.”

Fake.

Fake.
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9. “[Company] was not originally created to be a company. It was built to accomplish a social mission.”

9. “[Company] was not originally created to be a company. It was built to accomplish a social mission.”

Real: It’s Facebook, one of the biggest tech companies in the world today.

Real: It’s Facebook, one of the biggest tech companies in the world today.
Facebook's S-1 »
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10. “[Company] is a camera company. We believe reinventing the camera represents our greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate.”

10. “[Company] is a camera company. We believe reinventing the camera represents our greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate.”

Real. It’s from Snapchat parent company Snap, which developed a pair of glasses with a camera attached.

Real. It’s from Snapchat parent company Snap, which developed a pair of glasses with a camera attached.
Snap's S-1 »
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11. “We want to harness the latent power of our collective imagination.”

11. “We want to harness the latent power of our collective imagination.”

FAKE.

FAKE.
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12. “Our mission is to increase romantic connectivity worldwide.”

12. “Our mission is to increase romantic connectivity worldwide.”

Real — it’s Match.com, the online dating conglomerate.

Real — it’s Match.com, the online dating conglomerate.
Match.com's S-1 »
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13. “Our vision is to connect commerce to friendship.”

13. “Our vision is to connect commerce to friendship.”

Fake.

Fake.
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14. “[Company] is not a conventional company. We do not intend to become one.”

14. “[Company] is not a conventional company. We do not intend to become one.”

Real — it's Google!

Real — it's Google!
Google's S-1 »
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15. "Knowing is good, but knowing everything is better."

15. "Knowing is good, but knowing everything is better."

Fake: It's from the 2017 film "The Circle," starring Tom Hanks and Emma Watson.

Fake: It's from the 2017 film "The Circle," starring Tom Hanks and Emma Watson.
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16. “Unleash the world’s creative energy by designing a more enlightened way of working.”

16. “Unleash the world’s creative energy by designing a more enlightened way of working.”

Real — Dropbox!

Real — Dropbox!
Dropbox's S-1 »
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