Scaling upDecoded.

Scaling up, in a predictable way.

You have achieved product/market fit, have a loyal client-based, and you are on the verge of exponential growth. A great situation to be in, you would say. And yet something is gnawing at you.

Perhaps (in true start-up fashion) there was a little more hacking involved during the development of your product than intended. Is this a bottleneck for growth? You wonder if you have the necessary expertise in your team, and what additional expertise do you need when you suddenly have twice as many customers? Will you be able to get those new customers to commit? And what if you get requests for new features, can your product development handle that? Is your digital backbone strong enough? In other words, are you ready to scale?

In this document you will find a model that will help you to understand how ‘scale-ready’ your company is. Also, we gathered some insights from industry leaders who have successfully scaled their companies. And no, it was not always smooth sailing for them as well.

It will be a bumpy ride, but it will be worth it.

On scaling a company

Scaling a company means setting the stage to enable and support rapid growth in your company. It means having the ability to grow without being hampered. It requires planning, culture, funding, and the right systems, staff, processes, technology, and partners.

Growth vs scaling up

Growing and scaling are two different beasts completely. Let’s begin with the most common distinction between these two terms. In general, we think of growth in linear terms: a company adds new resources (capital, people, or technology), and its revenue increases as a result. When we refer to scaling, we are talking about exponential growth against moderate costs. Scaling is more of a framework to enable such growth. Instead of just adding more and more in the name of growth, scaling puts a structure to the processes, operations, and workflows where growth is needed.

Start-ups vs scaleups

You already have a firm grasp on what a start-up is, but how does that compare with a scaleup? Well, a scaleup is “an entrepreneurial venture that has achieved product-market fit and now will grow exponentially, be acquired of face a second valley of death.

Challenges that scaling companies face

Two-thirds of the fastest growing companies fail. Ouch, that’s quit a statistic. You might think that exponential growth puts you on the inevitable path to success. It appears not. There are plenty of studies have shown that slow-growing companies tend to do better in the long run than their fast-growing counterparts. Does this suggest that you should not scale? No. But you need to do it better than most other companies.

• Organization & Structure
• System & Architecture / Software
• Customer Focus
• Markets & Ecosystem
• Financial Capacity
• Measured approach
• Agility and Transformation
• Legislation & Policy Compliance

Benchmark your ‘Scale-readiness’

To determine your ‘scale-readiness’ we developed a very straightforward model. Based on five categories and about twenty questions. This model will provide you with a clear insight on where your company stands, where and how you can add value quickly and how you can plan to improve. Or in other words; it shows how ready your company for exponential growth.

Benchmark your ‘Scale-readiness’

To determine your ‘scale-readiness’ we developed a very straightforward model. Based on five categories and about twenty questions. This model will provide you with a clear insight on where your company stands, where and how you can add value quickly and how you can plan to improve. Or in other words; it shows how ready your company for exponential growth.

The model

One of the hardest things about scaling up is the fact that you must get everything right. Or so it may seem. Because you only must add value where it really counts. The first step in becoming scale-ready is knowing where to do so. And that is where our model comes in.

How it works.

Our model is based on a set of questions that give you an idea of in which areas your product/company is ‘scale-ready’ and which areas need improvement. So, you know just how to focus your efforts.

Gather your team or ga at it alone and answer our questions. See where you stand, and where you should stand. And remember, not all areas are equally important for everyone.