First to succumb were the airlines with innovative new business models, such as Silverjet with its mission to undercut the major airlines in the battle for business passengers.

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Our Mission and Our Business As I said above, Facebook was not originally founded to be a company.

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Some even pursue a social mission as part of their business.

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Further, by deploying trust, values and a purpose-driven mission as the primary drivers for all business activities, interactions and decisions, companies can transform a workforce of bricklayers into a highly coordinated and inspired team of cathedral-builders whose inspired work generates both success and significance for our companies and the world.

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When I talked to Agassi last Monday, he was his usual ebullient self, infusing the business case for Better Place with his mission of making electric cars as attractive to own as petroleum-powered models by eliminating the high cost and limited range of most current electric vehicles.

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If all goes well, the two-week mission will serve as an endorsement of Mr. Musk's unconventional business model and, according to company and industry officials, likely set the stage for an initial public offering by the company in the next few years.

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