My 2024 - A Journey of Balance, Reflection, Redemption and Most Importantly Sustainable Growth

In the world of tech, your journey often defines your leadership philosophy. For me, that journey began with bootstrapped roots—working for a company where frugality was a discipline, not a directive. I still remember my first leadership role as a CMO. I was responsible for managing budgets so tightly that getting just one or two checks signed a week felt like a victory. The Chairman at that company had a famous saying: “No!”—and that was his response to almost every check request. I’d joke, “ENR has been in business for 100 years; I think they’re safe.” He’d just shake his head and warn me, “You never know; they might go out of business tomorrow.” It was frustrating, but it instilled in me the importance of caution and discipline.

Contrast that with my second gig. I vividly remember sitting in a board meeting where the directive was the polar opposite: “Spend more, faster.” The message was clear: budget didn’t matter; momentum did. At first, it felt liberating, but as I watched the cash burn rate climb, it became clear that this approach had its own risks. This company had gone through hell to survive—at one point, the CEO even sold his car to make payroll. Yet, it had transformed into a decacorn, riding the wave of “grow at all costs.” The mechanics of scale were impressive but not without cracks.

Goldilocks Syndrome: Finding Balance at Briq

When I started Briq, I initially defaulted to the “grow fast, spend hard” philosophy. It seemed logical given the momentum-driven culture of tech. But as the market shifted and we faced new realities, I realized we needed something different. Building the “forever company” meant navigating the fine line between reckless spending and excessive caution—a balancing act I call the Goldilocks Syndrome.

We pivoted. We moved from the second scenario, with its “grow at all costs” ethos, to something more disciplined—closer to the first. This wasn’t just a Briq decision; the press contributed to this shift. Publications like TechCrunch and Crunchbase began talking about the changing funding profiles, and frankly, they were complicit in the misunderstanding of what it takes to build a sustainable business. Over the last 12 months, there has been an over-indexing on risk aversion—not because of interest rates, but because of a cultural shift among investors. It’s less about creating value and more about not making mistakes.

“The culture of investors shifted from value creation to mistake avoidance.”

How Briq Found Growth in a Down Market2024 wasn’t an easy year for anyone in tech. It was a year of scrutiny, of questioning every dollar spent and every feature shipped. But despite the challenges, Briq grew over 25% while cutting costs by 50%. That’s not just big—it’s defining.

Here’s how we did it:

1. Ruthless Focus on What Works

We discontinued products that weren’t working. Some decisions were straightforward. Others, like sunsetting Briq Cash, were tough. I vividly remember the day we decided to pull the plug on Briq Cash. It had passionate advocates, both internally and externally. But the numbers didn’t lie, and the product didn’t align with our long-term vision. Saying goodbye wasn’t just a financial decision; it was an emotional one. Yet, these moves freed us to double down on products that bring real value to our clients.

“Sometimes the hardest decisions aren’t about what to build but what to stop building.”

2. A New Layer of Leadership

We made a cultural shift in how we manage. Traditional VP structures are great for post-scale operations, but they’re a burden when you need to be scrappy. So we replaced top-heavy management with player-coach leaders—people who can both strategize and execute. It was a hard reset, and it wasn’t without its challenges. I’ll never forget a conversation with one of our new leaders. She’d just spent the morning analyzing market data and the afternoon rolling up her sleeves to write scripts for a demo. That’s the kind of leadership that’s reshaping Briq.

3. A Culture Built for the Future

This was the hardest change of all. Briq’s culture isn’t painted on a wall anymore. It’s embedded in our DNA. We’re about hard work, common sense, and natural curiosity. These aren’t platitudes; they’re expectations. Building this culture required tough conversations and even tougher decisions. I think back to a town hall where we introduced our new values. Someone asked, “What if I don’t fit into this?” My answer was honest: “Then Briq might not be the right place for you.” It wasn’t easy to say, but it was necessary.

“Culture isn’t about feel-good slogans; it’s about rewarding those who strive and ensuring survival through excellence.”

This new culture demands accountability. It rewards impact. And it’s tough driving—no excuses, no shortcuts. I’ve seen team members rise to the occasion in ways that inspire me daily. One engineer, in particular, took it upon himself to redesign an entire workflow—not because it was his job but because it was the right thing to do. That’s the Briq way.

The Takeaway

Building a company in a down market requires clarity. It requires leaders to be sober, tense, and intense. (And a little crazy :) The decisions are hard, the work is relentless, and the stakes are real. But if you stay true to what matters—your customers, your people, and your purpose—you come out stronger.

That’s how we’re building Briq: disciplined, ambitious, and ready to last.