There Are No Shortcuts: Growing a Business Is Hard Work

This article elaborates on my LinkedIn post last month that seemed to have struck a chord.

Don’t be fooled – despite what many so-called “gurus” would have you believe, it takes hard work and tenacity to grow a business or a career. Despite the “growth hacks” that some “experts” advocate, there’s no secret sauce or easy path. Don’t be misled by all the snake oil being sold. Success takes work, study, time, determination, grit, courage, experimentation, resilience...and a belief in yourself. While that belief may occasionally be challenged, and even fade from time-to-time, it’s something that can’t be extinguished if you expect to succeed.

Too often, unsuspecting entrepreneurs fall victim to gimmicky self-promoters promising quick returns. They are not hard to identify if you know what to look for. Many of these shrill sales pitches are usually...

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It’s not lost on me that many of these claims happen on this platform, LinkedIn. It’s a double-edged sword – an open platform where anyone can tout their brilliance, whether legitimate or not. As such, entrepreneurs must approach all “experts” with healthy skepticism. Just as you would approach any business deal, do your homework and check sources. 

It’s also not lost on me that this article purports that I am an expert myself – even though that’s not my intention. However, after decades of leading successful companies large and small, I’ve learned a thing or two along the way and feel obligated to share those lessons. Take it as you will, and remember it’s merely free advice.

Here’s my list of ten pieces of advice for entrepreneurs to guide their business journey: 

1.  There are no “growth hacks” or easy ways to advance your career or business. If you’re being spoon fed this nonsense, discard it. Experts who lead with this selling point are aiming for clickbait and sadly, too often it works. The best piece of business advice I can offer is: there is no shortcut to success; it takes hard work, some luck, and tremendous belief in oneself.
2. Be wary of sales "experts" as they are too often unproven and lack credibility. It’s easy to proclaim oneself as an “expert,” but what does their track record show? Which brands have they helped grow? What examples can they point to? Ask for references and examples, and poke around within your network before engaging. 
3. Be wary of "startup gurus" as they are too often unproven venture capitalists or entrepreneurs. Too often, these “gurus” have had very limited (if any) success, which may or may not even be relevant to your industry. Gravitate towards the proven startup advisors, the ones who are humble enough to avoid calling themselves a guru to begin with, and obviously appreciate the difficulty and nuance of guiding early stage companies.
4. Coaches and consultants can be helpful, but must be vetted carefully. One of the most important business lessons is that entrepreneurship, and company-building, is a team sport. Entrepreneurs must attract and hire to help complement their strengths and offset their weaknesses, and that can often begin with a mentor, coach or outside consultant. But, what does their track record show? How long have they been mastering their craft? Are they a self-proclaimed leader or have they earned that accolade? Be wary of “experts” and do your homework to properly vet them. To me, the value of a coach lies in the way they make you think. Do they challenge your way of thinking? Do they force you to view a situation through a different lens? Do they help you admit that you can’t do it all? 
5. Find the right business books. While so many business books are self-promotional with vacuous claims, there are some really good ones out there. A few I frequently recommend are The Hard Thing About Hard Things, Primed to Perform, The Obstacle is the Way and What You Do Is Who You Are.
6. Great mentors do exist. Don’t get me wrong, good mentors do exist. However, they’re somewhat rare and very personal. In fact, they may not even be business professionals – mentors can come from unexpected places. They won’t be assigned to you, so you must seek them out. A few mentors that were pivotal for me include those who were consciously aware that I viewed them as a mentor, and some where the mentorship relationship is more informal and unstructured. My mentors come from all parts of my life, and some of them have influenced me in ways they may not even be aware. I’m grateful to have learned a great deal from Dave Duffield, Hasso Plattner, Fred Warren, Geoffrey Moore, Tim Koogle, Craig Conway, Arianna Huffington, Ronnie Lott, and Ben Horowitz. 
7. Mobilize employees to be your best advocates. Help employees understand and appreciate the intent of a business, why it values what it does, how those values drive action, and how values and culture can galvanize a team to its purpose. “Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility” by Patty McCord is an excellent resource about culture building and the power of intent. Employees crave the opportunity to learn: how companies operate; business and operating models that work; and how to create and grow a culture of performance and purpose.
8. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Mistakes are how we learn and grow. To avoid sounding like a self-proclaimed expert myself, let me share an example of a mistake I’ve made along the way that made me a better leader. After nearly 20 years as a CEO, I have yet to fire someone fast enough. Too often, by the time I fully recognized (and agonized) whether I had the right person in the right job, it was already too late. The hard lesson I learned is to anticipate, act quickly and decisively, and be excruciatingly clear at every single opportunity about expectations. After many years, this has helped me and my teams be far more insightful and deliberate in how we hire, train, develop, grow and evaluate senior talent.
9. Don’t discount pure luck. Nobody says this, but it’s true. Every founder doesn’t become Steve Jobs, but a lucky break has made many a m(b)illionaire. Perhaps a chance encounter or an unlikely referral can introduce a founder to a new idea or connect them to someone who can help them grow. But, those chance encounters don’t come to those who wait for success – it comes to those who dare to put themselves out there. You create your own luck, but too few admit that luck plays a role. Circumstances must conspire and come together in just the right way and you need to be ready and prepared when they do. 
10. Once you find success, find time to give back. Entrepreneurs who’ve battled and shed blood, sweat and tears and come out on the other side of it to find success have an obligation to share their experiences. Leave breadcrumbs. Pay it forward. Arm another entrepreneur with lessons from your journey so they can avoid your missteps. We must support one another in our collective business journeys.

Net/net, there is no substitute for digging in, doing the work, and preparing for success. That level of commitment and dedication isn't for everybody, and it starts with understanding that there are no shortcuts.