Hey Startup Founders, Stop Thinking Small
The road to long-term success starts with giving up small gains
This is an open message to entrepreneurs and startup leaders to stay out of that sticky swamp of focusing on the past and taking small gains. It’s also a reminder to myself. Because I do it. A lot.
Because it’s an easy trap to fall into.
The concept has never been hammered home as hard as it has since I’ve been at my most recent startup endeavor. Spiffy — mobile vehicle care and maintenance — is co-founded and run by a friend of mine who was on the board of one of my previous startups. He also has taken a startup from zero to IPO, and the way he runs things isn’t exactly the opposite of the way I do, but his focus on the future is relentless compared to mine.
And his focus works better.
The Small Gain Swamp Is Full Of Quicksand
Getting lost in the small stuff is easy to do, especially when you’ve had some success and especially when that success comes early. I’ve had three startups of my own now where I got to a certain level then leveled off. The problem wasn’t that those companies suddenly stopped growing. In fact, one of them grew all the way to acquisition once I solved the problem.
