Photo credits: Restart Creative
“You don’t get what you deserve; you get what you design.”
Jason Sisneros has met thousands of business owners across the globe. Most are smart. Hardworking. Ambitious.
But, as he often observes, most of them can’t answer one of the most important questions:
Who is Jason Sisneros?
Jason Sisneros is a hard-nosed, battle-tested CEO who has advanced the science of performance and the art of leadership. He is regarded as one of the most creative minds in business and innovation. His past and current clients include Fortune 500 companies such as Nike, Comcast, and Microsoft, as well as over 100 small to mid-cap companies, earning him the nickname “The Architect” for his unique ability to build systems and processes that optimize each one for maximum cash flow or exit.
Why are you building this business?
Not the surface-level answer. Not the polished soundbite about legacy or freedom. The real answer is the one that lives behind their eyes when no one’s watching.
According to Sisneros, 90% of business owners have no idea:
- No idea what they’re truly building toward.
- No idea what “enough” even looks like.
- No idea when or how they plan to exit — if they’ve considered exiting at all.
And that’s the core problem. Because, as Jason puts it, a business without purpose is just a grind.
A business with purpose, on the other hand, becomes a weapon for good.
The Question Every Founder Should Be Asking
Most people ask, “What keeps you up at night?”
But Jason flips the script. That question, he says, is rooted in fear. Instead, he asks:
“What makes you leap out of bed with fury and fire in the morning?”
If there’s no answer, the business isn’t just off track — it’s being built blind. And no marketing plan or spreadsheet will fix that.
For Sisneros, the answer is clear: impact.
He knows the exact cost it takes to rescue one child from the sex trade. That’s what drives him. That’s how he measures success — not in likes, followers, or even EBITDA.
But by the real-world good he can do with the businesses he’s built.
Purpose Is a Strategic Advantage, Not a Luxury
The world has pushed a dangerous idea — that business is about growth at all costs. That purpose comes later, after the empire is built.
Jason Sisneros calls that what it is: bullshit.
Purpose isn’t fluff. It’s not a motivational speech. It’s the sharpest competitive edge in today’s marketplace.
When a business is tied to a reason bigger than the founder, everything changes:
- The leader wakes up on fire.
- The team rallies behind real impact.
- The business model becomes a tool to fund something worth fighting for.
And the market? It can’t copy that. It can’t out-market that. And it definitely can’t fake that.
Design the Legacy — Don’t Drift into It
Far too many entrepreneurs wake up one day with millions in revenue and no clue what it’s for.
That, Jason believes, is the greatest tragedy of all.
Because you don’t get the exit you deserve.
You don’t get the fulfillment you hope for.
You get what you design.
So he offers this challenge:
- If you’re building — build with purpose.
- If you’re scaling — scale with strategy.
- If you’re succeeding — ask why.
Once the “why” is clear, the game changes. Chasing stops. Creating begins. And the business becomes unstoppable — in the best way possible.
Final Word
A business is just a vehicle.
The engine is the founder’s heart.
And when it’s lit on fire for something greater than comfort, status, or applause — that’s when real wealth, real impact, and real fulfillment collide.
As Jason Sisneros puts it: build like it matters. Because it does.
