?? 13 Lessons From 13 Years: What It Really Takes to Grow a Business

A behind-the-scenes look at leadership, culture, and innovation from TechArk’s journey.

Building a business is one thing. Scaling it without losing what made it special is another challenge entirely.

Over the past 13 years, TechArk has grown from a side project into a 120+ person team serving businesses across six countries and three continents. Along the way, TechArk’s CEO, Pratik Kothari, has shared valuable insights from this journey—many of which you'll find throughout this article.

We’ve helped organizations like the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, CIEES at Old Dominion University, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), and Wonderly Lights tackle challenges through strategy, technology, and innovation.

But growth isn’t just about numbers. It’s about learning the right lessons at the right time.

So as we celebrate 13 years in business, here are 13 key takeaways on leadership, culture, and innovation.

Quotes provided

#1 | The Right People in the Right Seats Can Make or Break Your Business

Scaling means balancing growth with stability. One of the hardest challenges? Hiring the right people and placing them in roles where they can thrive.

"It's a moving train, and you're trying to put the right people in the right seats while the train is still going full speed."

At times, we were stretched too thin. The key was slowing down, thinking strategically, and making hiring decisions that aligned with our long-term vision.

#2 | Culture Isn’t an Afterthought – It’s the Foundation

You don’t build a great company with just processes or tools – you build it with people.

"As we bring on key people, we are able to blend them within the 'one team', the culture of TechArk, and keep a keen eye on innovation."

At TechArk, our team isn’t just executing tasks. They own their work, push boundaries, and drive the company forward.

#3 | Innovation Is a Mindset, Not Just a Buzzword

Businesses that thrive aren’t just keeping up… they’re actively shaping the future.

"Innovation has been that spirit that is really alive at TechArk. Every week, every month, we continue to push forward on that innovation frontier."

Innovation isn’t just about adopting new tech – it’s about challenging assumptions and finding better ways to solve problems.

#4 | Learning Never Stops… And It Shouldn’t

The most successful businesses don’t just adapt to change – they embrace it.

"My personal desire is to continue to learn and grow. I do that quite a bit every week."

At TechArk, we treat every challenge as a learning opportunity – for ourselves and for our clients.

#5 | A Strong Culture Leads to Better Customer Experiences

Great teams don’t just work together – they trust each other. And that trust translates directly to customer satisfaction.

"We are now 120+ people strong. It has become easier. A lot of responsibilities are getting spread out, getting absorbed, getting embraced by so many other individuals within the company."

When your team is engaged, supported, and aligned, the quality of work improves across the board.

#6 | Business Is About Relationships, Not Just Revenue

TechArk started with zero clients, zero employees, and zero revenue. The biggest shift happened when we invested in relationships.

"We started showing up. I started showing up at all sorts of entrepreneurial events, learning events, networking events. I started connecting with people, made friends, made genuine relationships."

The best business growth happens organically – by building trust and delivering value before asking for anything in return.

#7 | The Best Solutions Start With a Simple Question: “What If?”

Every major service TechArk offers started as an experiment.

"Every single service we introduce, we don't just go out and start talking about that service. There's a lot of groundwork that goes into it."

Some of our most impactful innovations – including AI-driven automation and CivicFlow? – started with a simple “What if?”

#8 | A Company’s Core Values Should Guide Every Decision

As TechArk has expanded, we’ve remained anchored by three core values – Integrity, Innovation, and Quality.

"To keep that quality narrative going, we believe innovation is the key. We keep innovating."

These values guide hiring, client relationships, and strategic decisions. Without them, growth loses direction.

#9 | The Best Businesses Solve Problems, Not Sell Features

Customers don’t buy technology or services – they buy solutions to their problems.

"The customers bring us these problems that they are facing, either on the marketing side of things or the technology side of things. What TechArk has done extremely well is listen to those problems, truly understand them, and put ourselves in the shoes of that customer."

TechArk’s approach has always been problem-first, technology-second.

#10 | Focus on Doing Better – Not Just Doing More

As we look ahead, TechArk is doubling down on:

? AI-driven automation for business efficiency

? Scalable digital solutions like CivicFlow

? Strategic problem-solving to help clients grow

Scaling a business isn’t about doing more – it’s about doing better.

#11 | Every 90 Days, Commit to Focused Growth

Instead of chasing big, vague goals, we break challenges into 90-day Rocks.

"Each quarter, every individual within the company takes on rocks for their own department. Typically, 1 to 2 rocks are being taken on in each of these seats… sometimes more. If you put that in perspective, in a period of 90 days, we have 250+ initiatives that get taken on, some are small, some are very large, some are tactical, some are very strategic. The impact of that at scale, at an organizational level, at a company level… is just huge."

This keeps us nimble, accountable, and constantly moving forward.

#12 | Giving Back Strengthens Your Business AND Your Community

TechArk isn’t just a business – it’s a part of the Hampton Roads community.

"We have now worked with over 60+ nonprofits in our community, which is also bigger than just Hampton Roads."

From building solutions for local nonprofits to mentoring entrepreneurs, we believe that success should be shared.

#13 | The Journey Never Ends – And That’s The Fun Part

After 13 years, we’ve learned that growth isn’t a destination… It's a continuous process.

"We hope to inspire people, and we aspire to learn from them."

If there’s one piece of advice we’d share with business owners, marketers, and leaders, it’s this:

? Keep learning.

? Keep innovating.

? Keep challenging yourself.

Because the best companies don’t just grow – they evolve.

Build With Purpose, Scale With Intention

At TechArk, we’re excited for what’s ahead. But today, we’re grateful for the journey, the lessons, and the people who made it all possible.

?? Here’s to the next 13 years of innovation, impact, and growth!