Creating a New Business Using AI and MVOSSTE Part I - Mission Statement

 By now most of you know that MVOSSTE stands for Mission, Vision, Objective, Situation Analysis, Strategy, Tactics and Execution. For the next few posts I will use AI and MVOSSTE to walk readers through the process of developing a new business.

Developing is the first step in the process. A mission statement identifies the job you want your organization to do for its customers. Since situations and markets change over time you want you mission statement to broad enough to allow your business to thrive when technology, customers tastes, legal environments and the economy change.

Let's say you have a skill in making carrying cases and would like to start a business catering to business travelers. If you think about it carrying cases is a subset of travel products and services. When considering this and the possibility of future developments, developing a mission statement could be a daunting exercise.

Even after discussing a possible mission statement with colleagues you probably would create a mission statement built around your strength of making carrying cases. Your mission statement would probably be something to the effect of :"To provide the best carrying case solutions for individuals and organizations".

This seems to provide the ability to offer products to any entity needing a carrying case and provides for the ability to pivot when markets and circumstances change.

I am reminded of Theodore Levitt's article "Marketing Myopia" in which he points out that at a certain point railroads only considered transportation on rails as their business. If railroad owners had considered themselves as being in the transportation business they might have envisioned air cargo, airlines, busses and automobiles as possible business ventures.

Using AI can be helpful here but it still requires the use of a prompt that provides the right parameters. For example, if you were to use the prompt "create a mission statement for a company that is skilled in making carrying cases", you might get the following: "To design and deliver high-quality, durable, and innovative carrying cases that protect, organize, and enhance everyday mobility—meeting the diverse needs of professionals, creators, and adventurers with precision and style."

This is good but it limits the scope of business to carrying cases. Here it might be useful to think of the job that a carrying case does. Here are some broad uses of carrying cases:

🛡️ Protection

  • Shields contents from physical damage (impacts, drops, pressure)

  • Guards against environmental elements (water, dust, temperature)

🧩 Organization

  • Keeps items arranged in a logical, accessible way

  • Prevents tangling, clutter, or loss of small components

🚚 Portability

  • Makes transporting items easier and more convenient

  • Often designed to fit specific modes of travel (handheld, backpack, roller, mountable)

🎯 Specialization

  • Tailored for specific items (e.g., cameras, laptops, tools, instruments)

  • May include features like foam inserts, compartments, or anti-static linings

💼 Professionalism & Presentation

  • Adds aesthetic value and professionalism in client-facing scenarios

  • Helps reinforce brand identity when customized

🔐 Security

  • May offer locking mechanisms, RFID shielding, or tamper-evident features

  • Gives peace of mind during travel or storage



You could ask AI to generate a list of products that provide these same jobs and provide a broader mission statement and find this response:Great direction—shifting focus from the product (carrying cases) to the job to be done opens up much broader business possibilities.

First, let's revisit the jobs a carrying case performs and identify other products or solutions that also serve those same functions:

1. Protection

Other solutions:

  • Hard-shell cases

  • Phone/laptop covers

  • Screen protectors

  • Vaults, safes

  • Packaging materials (foam, bubble wrap, Pelican-style containers)

  • Anti-static bags

2. Organization

Other solutions:

  • Drawer organizers

  • Toolboxes

  • Modular storage systems

  • Packing cubes

  • Custom inserts and trays

  • App-based inventory/organization tools (digital)

3. Portability

Other solutions:

  • Backpacks

  • Duffel bags

  • Suitcases

  • Tool belts

  • Wearable tech cases

  • Rolling carts

  • Portable storage units

4. Specialization

Other solutions:

  • Medical instrument kits

  • Camera rigs/cages

  • Musical instrument cases

  • Drone transport systems

  • Custom-molded inserts

  • Flight cases

5. Professionalism & Presentation

Other solutions:

  • Branded packaging

  • Display cases

  • Presentation folders and binders

  • Trade show booths

  • Portable signage

  • Custom merchandising kits

6. Security

Other solutions:

  • Lockable storage

  • RFID-blocking wallets/bags

  • Smart locks and tracking tags

  • Tamper-evident packaging

  • Biometric storage systems

✅ Based on all this, here's a broader mission statement that focuses on the jobs to be done rather than the product:

"To deliver smart, reliable solutions that protect, organize, and mobilize the things people value—enhancing everyday functionality, security, and professional presentation across industries and lifestyles."

This mission gives you room to expand from carrying cases into related products and even services or digital solutions while staying grounded in the same core purpose.

This, I think, provides a more robust mission statement that allows the business to take a broader view of the possibilities and be on the look out for business opportunities.

In my next post I will focus on Visioning how it fits with the mission but describes how the business will create value for itself, its customer and its collaborators.

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