Riding the Wave of Change: The Founder's Journey from Start-Up to Stability

Have you ever wondered about the myriad of changes a start-up goes through?

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When a start-up is launched, the game of change becomes very popular. The playing field is large and open to trial and error. Compared to established brands, the stakeholders in this lift-off journey are very short-term focused, with an early-stage mindset that is constantly pivoting and adjusting. Everything has yet to be invented.

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Indeed, change impacts every aspect of their young lives, creating a different vibe from any established company. Risk tolerance is much higher in a new adventure: people together on the same ship, boldly searching for a market fit. At the end, flexibility is an asset because the market on shore decides what it wants.

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After the exciting inception phase, transformation takes a new business from undifferentiated growth to program management, to a more strategic, structured mode, a given in large companies. Decision-making becomes less dependent on a single founder, which is a vulnerability, and more insistent on processes and policies. Finally, the founders begin to work on scaling the business, the roles to be played and the systems to ensure quality delivery.

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An important part of the growth mindset in a new-born company is a self-awareness compass at every stage. Asking yourself “why, how, what”; doing things differently in a particular area and forgetting the politics that hold you back. Such a pioneer founder typically tends to solve all problems himself. Different kinds of resistance can arise – and you and I talk a lot in our LinkedIn interventions about the challenges of resistance, right? That's where buy-in from the team is an opportunity to foster. By being open about what's in it for them, sharing the (!) story and clarifying what drives the vision.

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It was with this myriad of changes and questions in mind that Lars Voedisch, Managing Director and Principal Consultant at PRecious Communications, a fast-growing boutique strategic communications and public relations consultancy for B2C and B2B companies in Asia Pacific and beyond, explained in our Change Matters Virtual Summit discussion*:

"Because I was very cash-flow driven, I hired too many juniors. Then I became the bottleneck for advice, decision making and client consultation and had to take a few steps back. There are so many different key lessons. I think one of the greatest blessings of running or building a start-up is to be in that epiphany zone where you go: oh yes, I messed up, now I know how to do it better.”

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In line with the corporate world, hiring in a start-up is fast at first, "hire fast and fire slow", which gradually shifts to finding the right fit for the role, the right attitude. A new generation comes on board not just to have a job, but to buy into a vision that is openly shared with the protagonists, which in turn helps to overcome resistance.

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If you see yourself in these transformation differences, you might enjoy my conversation with Lars Voedisch, Managing Director and Principal Consultant at PRecious Communications.

*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7lgOxIDGgQ