Meet the Founder: Elizabeth Knight, Purposeful
Elizabeth Knight (Atto Accelerator 2020) launched Purposeful as a way to help young people find their way in the world. Elizabeth talks to us about where the idea to launch an ed-tech platform came from, and how she felt stepping onto the famous red dot to give her TEDx talk.
Where did the idea for Purposeful come from?
My journey began when I graduated from high school, and like many people, was completely overwhelmed and directionless when it came to figuring out my future. I couldn’t bring myself to put my head down for another three years at university, only to reach the end of my degree still not having a clue! It made me realise how seriously inadequate and archaic the solutions are for helping young people to navigate their futures, and so the idea for Purposeful was born. I think a more important question is probably, why have I kept at it? I’ve kept going because of the people I meet every single day. Whether I’m getting a haircut, at a party or catching up with a long lost friend for coffee I’m constantly reminded of how big this problem is. People, and not just young people, are desperately in need of guidance to help them find purpose so they can get in the driver’s seat and head towards their future.
You gave a TEDx talk about how Gen X feels about the future... how did that opportunity arise?
I think there’s this big misconception out there that opportunities like that get given to you! Sometimes you get lucky for sure, but in the early days of your journey as a founder it’s up to you so seek them out or to create them for yourself. So I actually asked for the opportunity to give a TED talk. It’s been really interesting watching that talk (and the YouTube comments) age. Now, it seems like an obvious insight. But when I gave it pre-2020, most people didn’t understand why young people are so overwhelmed and directionless compared to other generations. I’m really proud of it!
Was it fun to do?
I’m not going to lie, it was pretty terrifying! I do a lot of public speaking but there is something exceptionally nerve-wracking about stepping onto that red dot.
Was being a startup founder part of your career plan?
Of course not! I’m not sure if I’ve ever had a career plan, other than in high school when I thought that the only path to being successful, and making a difference, was to become a lawyer. I wasn’t taught about entrepreneurship in school, so when I first discovered startups in university it was pretty game-changing for me. I realised that I didn’t have to choose a career path, instead, I could create one around a problem I cared about. Now my career plan is to do just that for as long as it is sustainable.
What was the first thing you did to get Purposeful up and running?
I had the chance to give a workshop at a leadership conference for high schoolers. I had the beginnings of Purposeful in my head at the time, but I’d never put my ideas down on paper. So, I presented a session that was a crash-course in ‘how to find your purpose’, and it was the most game-changing moment. I had all 50 students fill out double-sided feedback forms with rave reviews, in tears from how much it had helped them in such a short space of time. After that, I knew I was onto something and so I never looked back.
Is Purposeful your full-time gig? What were you doing prior to starting it?
I’ve been working on Purposeful full-time since February 2020, and I think I am officially unemployable because I can’t see myself ever wanting to work for someone else, or on anything else but this problem! It’s truly what I hope to make my life’s work. Before Purposeful, I was the Director at Bloom, a university incubator program, as well as being a student (somewhat reluctantly).
What's the biggest thing you've learnt about founding a startup?
Startups are constantly juggling this smoke and mirrors charade of where they hope to be, and where they actually are. The difference between the two is often overwhelming, and it’s seemingly impossible to bridge the gap. There is a huge amount of pressure to think global from day one, but there are few global companies that intended to attain world domination from the beginning. Having a vision, and an understanding of how you want to grow, is important, but what’s more important is understanding how you’re going to get there. I don’t mean your go-to-market strategy or growth tactics, I mean your principles and values as a person and a company. What’s the impact you want to create on the world? How do you want to make people feel? Work that out, and be resolute on that. Everything else can, and will, change but the core values and purpose that underpins your company shouldn’t.
A piece of advice you'd give to women starting out?
I think the hardest lesson for women (especially, young women) to learn is in understanding that we are valuable from the start! Don’t wait for permission to start making money or to start charging for your time. You’ll never be 100% confident in your abilities or your ideas, so don’t wait for that day before you try and turn a profit. If other people are telling you that what you do is worthwhile, or deep in your gut you know that it is, then just go for it. Listen to those voices, not the negative one in your head that’s trying to throw you off. I always ask myself, what would I do if I were a man? Or even better, if I had all the confidence that I needed? And then even if it makes you cringe a little inside, go and do that.
How has Atto Accelerator helped you with Purposeful?
This program has helped me to bring structure to a completely chaotic and unstructured experience. I was really looking for accountability and a community to fall back on that I could relate to, and Atto gave me exactly that. I love learning, so tuning in to masterclasses each week was like going to startup school. I will really miss Atto’s presence in my calendar.