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When the Founder Is the Rainmaker: How to Scale Without Losing the Spark
In many founder-led businesses, the founder isn’t just the leader—they’re also the best (and often only) rainmaker. They land the big deals. They have the trusted relationships. They know the pitch inside and out because they are the pitch.
It works—until it doesn’t.
As the business grows, this model creates a bottleneck. Every new opportunity depends on one and only person. And it’s the same person every time. But there’s a downside. When that person is also responsible for running the business, mentoring the team, and shaping the vision, something eventually gives.
Are You Eating Your Own Dog Food?
Fri, Aug 21, 2015 — How An Old Microsoft Corollary Holds New Significance For Today’s Digital Marketer When I helped control Bill’s “Gates” many moons ago, as a marketing executive for Microsoft, there was an old nugget of wisdom that I believe offers new relevance for today’s digital marketer. To ensure the quality of its products – particularly in the “go-go” days of the 1980s, when Microsoft was relatively unchallenged in the marketplace for PC software – executives and employees alike were told to “eat their own dog food.”
The Elton John Brand – Lessons in Marketing Management from The Rocket Man
Wed, Nov 20, 2013 — I read with interest several recent Elton John interviews in support of his latest (33rd) album release, The Diving Board. In a WSJ interview, the album is praised for being a return to the basic style that had Elton continuously on the Top 40 charts for over 4 years during the mid-70’s. The articles made me think about how a brand that started strong can survive for so long putting out some questionable products, and what lessons about marketing strategy we can we take from this.
Small Business Thrashing: When Nimble Makes You Numb
Thu, Nov 15, 2012 — Opportunities Galore… This small company is 15 years old, and has a few million in sales. The founder has returned from semi-retirement to help lead and reinvigorate the team. In the past year or so, the firm introduced a number of innovative new services, including its first consumer-direct offering. It has also partnered with several adjacent industry players and is leading the effort to capture yet another clear opportunity. The small staff works tirelessly to support every new initiative while keeping the wheels on its core offering that delivers 85% of its revenue. While sales overall are not expanding and no one has received a pay increase in years, there are no complaints. These are good people. And they know the power of working nimbly and collaboratively. …But Hungering For Growth Like many of businesses of their size and age, this company hungers for faster, more predictable growth. They are tired of being small when they are part of a market that seems so promising. During our first meeting, it was immediately clear that the company leadership consists of a sharp group of professionals. In our exploratory work session (90 minute complimentary consultation) everyone engaged, all contributing, respectfully listening to new ideas, and adding value to our conversation.
Can Your Product Be Easily Replaced?
Sun, Aug 12, 2012 — Have You Heard of Wally Pipp? Pipp was the first baseman for the New York Yankees in 1925. Folklore has it that on June 2 he asked to sit out the game because of a headache. The coach substituted Lou Gehrig, and that was the beginning of Gehrig’s streak of 2,130 consecutive games. What would happen to your product if it was replaced by a competitor, or worse, from another industry altogether?
The Challenges of Introducing New Medical Technologies
Mon, Jan 30, 2012 —