Unicorns: no longer mythical creatures

Once upon a time, unicorns were considered to be mythical creatures – only for fairy tales and children’s imaginations. Today however, we are living through the golden age of unicorns – and not just in popular culture.

In addition to sparkly unicorns decorating our t-shirts and our homes, unicorns are popping up across the globe as the world’s most valuable private enterprises.

Coined by venture capitalise Aileen Lee in 2013, the global unicorn club comprises of almost 400 start-up companies worth over $1 billion: a term representing the rarity of such successful ventures.

From Uber and Deliveroo to BenevolentAI and Monzo, the unicorn start-ups are leaving many other organisations behind in their glittery wake. They’re revolutionising business and taking over the market.

So, what’s the secret to this special herd?

Mission Driven Company Cultures

No matter the business or the industry, every unicorn has a clear mission that speaks to both its employees and its target customers. The mission defines and upholds what the company stands for, what its purpose is and what it does: it offers transparency, maintains high levels of engagement and keeps both employees and customers invested in the great work that the organisation does.

Agility

In a fast-paced environment, there’s one thing keeping unicorns thriving and it’s agility: the ability to pivot, to create and to imaginatively problem solve both quickly and effectively. As new players emerge and disrupt, being agile means unicorns are continuously evolving to meet the evolving needs of its customers.

Forward Thinking

Unicorns are always forward thinking and not just what will happen next year, but in five years and in 10 years. By forward thinking, unicorns ensure they remain at the forefront of development and one step ahead of the competition for both customers and talent – offering the very best products and services and marketing leading benefits to their people.

Frictionless Experience

As competition heats up for talent and for business, a step wrong for companies can be several steps back as customers and talent move on. With the ongoing introduction of new technology unicorns are offering frictionless experiences to complement the on-demand requirements of their customers and their people – from AI to mobile applications and more.

In a nutshell, unicorns are all about innovation.