Enabling companies to grow with focus, ownership, and speed
When it comes to scaling a company, most attention goes to funding and product-market fit. That is essential, but not enough. Many teams with great products and strong demand still struggle. Not because of money, but because the way their company operates cannot keep up.
That is what this blog is about: how to build systems that let your company scale without losing focus, ownership, or speed. That is why it is called systems that scale.
What this means
Every company has an operating system, either by design or by accident. It is the set of systems that determine how work gets done: how people are organized, how priorities are set, how decisions are made.
Companies that get their operating system right can scale with focus, ownership, and speed. Those that do not drift into complexity, chaos, and inertia.
Why it matters
Similar patterns appear in companies of all sizes. They often arise with just a few dozen coworkers, get worse as companies grow into the hundreds of people, and remain an issue in organizations with thousands of employees.
"We have no idea where we are heading."
"Everything is supposedly important, no one knows what really matters."
"Nobody properly owns anything around here."
If that sounds familiar, your company's operating system is showing its limits. The good news is that these issues are fixable. Not completely (growth always adds some complexity and friction), but enough to keep your company focused and fast.
While I mostly write about "the company", the same principles apply at any level – for business units, functions, and teams alike. That is because a good operating system is fractal: you can start from wherever you are.
What you will find here
Over time, this blog will include three types of articles:
- The framework: A holistic view of what a company's operating system consists of
- Practices: Tools, methods, and examples for turning ideas into action
- Perspectives: Conversations with people building and scaling organizations
Who shaped my thinking
When writing for this blog, I stand on the shoulders of giants. I would like to mention Roger Martin (on strategy), Claire Hughes Johnson (on scaling), Jim Collins (on enduring organizations), Kim Scott (on good management), and Jeff Gothelf & Josh Seiden (on goal setting). Their ideas had significant influence on what you will read here.
Why I care about this
Ten years ago, as a freshly minted COO of a scale-up, I was living with the constant feeling that things were somehow slipping through our fingers. That we were not really in control. That we were constantly forced into reactive mode, even for things that should not have come as surprises at all.
I want this to become the blog I wish I had found when I first tried to get a grip on organizing a company in the middle of scaling. If you are building an organization and want it to scale without descending into chaos or bureaucracy, I hope you will find this blog useful.
About me
My name is Thomas. I love figuring out how to build high-performance organizations and overcome the challenges of growth. Also, my mind tends to gravitate toward thinking in systems.
Over the last decade, I have worked as a COO in a scale-up, at Bain & Company, and now at u-blox, a global leader in positioning technology.
This blog is where I share what I have learned – and keep learning – about turning ambitions into results while trying to keep both chaos and bureaucracy at bay.
If you would like to connect or share feedback, you can find me on LinkedIn.