How Founders and Their Successors Can Avoid the Cliches that Inhibit Growth
This course’s title was something that was said to me by a founder as I took the reins of his company. His meaning was clear. He wanted me to be sure to not screw up the hard work and success that he had accomplished before my arrival. But that’s the just the point. To scale your company, or grow a company, you have to be willing to f**k things up!
From a student’s perspective, this course will provide you with a lot of great strategies for not only growing a company but also in terms of leadership and your own career growth.
Textbook Curriculum
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Introduction
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Purpose of this book
Chapter 1 – Messing with Success
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#1: “Don’t f**k it up!â€
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#2 I know more about this company than anyone ever will!
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#3 I could have told you that would happen
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#4 Next time run these things past me
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Assignment
Chapter 2 – Seeking Higher Ground
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We’ll never find someone who can do this as well as me
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It’s better if I do this myself
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Next time I’ll let someone else handle it
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I think you might want to reconsider what you are about to do
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Chapter 2 Assignment
Chapter 3 – They’re Expecting Me
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That customer and I have a long-standing relationship
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I’ll just take this customer’s call
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I don’t have time to record all this stuff in our system.
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In the grand scheme of things this won’t make any difference
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Chapter 3 Assignment
Chapter 4 – Just Ask Why
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I’m OK hiring someone as long as they don’t slow me down
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That’s how we do it here
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I’m not sure you understand how different this company is
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That would mean giving up a key advantage
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Chapter 4 Assignment
Chapter 5 – The Emperor has No Clothes
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I will never consider removing one of our founding team members
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People are always candid with me
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Our team is so close they can read each other’s minds
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Losing him would be a monumental loss of institutional knowledge
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Chapter 5 Assignment
Chapter 6 – One is the Loneliest Number
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Asking for help will make me appear weak
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I often make better decisons when I keep my own counsel
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The board will think I’m in over my head if I let on how much I don’t know
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If I have to solicit all those opinions, it will slow us down
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Chapter 6 Assignment
Chapter 7 – Without You
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The company requires my personal attention in order to scale
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I don’t have time for anything else other than this business
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I check in a few times every day when I am away
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This company can’t run without me
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Chapter 7 Assignment
Chapter 8 – Passing the Torch
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Passing the torch – hockey version!
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Don’t worry, I’ll stay out of the way
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You can’t just ignore all the institutional memory and expertise I have
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I started this company; I should still have some authority
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I don’t like what they’ve done with the company
