On the realities of building a business from founder-led to founder-supported. Foundations, financials, and the hire that decides whether the business grows without you. By Annie Gibbins, founder of multiple ventures.
Most founders scale headcount, premises, and marketing before they've scaled the foundations that make growth durable. Here's the order that actually works — foundations first, capacity second, speed from the foundations rather than despite them.
Most founders only see their financials when their accountant produces them. The monthly cadence is more important than the annual one. Four reports. Twenty minutes. Every month, without exception.
The first manager hire is one of the highest-leverage decisions a founder makes. Most founders make it too late, and most pick the wrong profile when they finally do. Here's the timing, the profile, and what the founder's role becomes after the hire.
Most founders raise capital with too much focus on valuation and too little focus on the relationship structure they're entering. Here are five conversations to have before you sign anything.
Every founder eventually hears that they should "hire for culture fit." The phrase is well-meaning and usually wrong. Here's what it actually leads to, and what to hire for instead.