Going slow to grow fast
giving yourself proper time
I’ve been writing more. I think it’s because my running mileage is ramping up, as I have 3 ultra trail marathons kicking off in September. I’m often thinking through problems while running, and I’m writing down solutions after the runs.
It’s easy to feel that every day at a startup is about growing or dying. I encourage you to give yourself the time to think and do, slowly.
Here are a few ways to go slow, so you can grow fast.
1. Never be above doing a job.
Danen and I have pitched chefs, restaurant owners, produce managers, investors, and community members as they’ve noticed us hanging a sticker on their door—with the majority of those pitches “failing” at the moment. We’ve done deliveries in blizzards. But it’s not just us. The entire team is never above doing a job. No matter your title, you’ll experience sales, subscriber success, production, delivery, and even door sticking.
By never being above doing a job, your team will have more clarity and admiration for each other’s strengths. At that point, you can start to grow fast.
2. Let everyone see the pulse of your customer.
We have Slack notifications for every new subscriber and every churned subscriber (including their churn reason). Everyone sees the notifications come in in real time. Those notifications are noise at times—both encouraging and discouraging. But that noise represents the lifeblood of the company. By spending the time to build the pulse as part of your day-to-day, you’ll be able to rally everyone at a moment’s notice—for both good and bad reasons. At that point, you can start to grow fast.
3. Audit your beliefs, regularly.
It’s important to be coachable. If you’re not, you’re going to be in for a world of hurt while trying to build a company. To remain coachable, I intentionally audit my beliefs.
2 months ago, I believed I was doing well with paid Facebook and Instagram ads. Last month, an audit revealed there was A LOT of room for improvement in Cost Per Click (CPC). I no longer run our paid Facebook and Instagram ads. 2 days ago, I believed the metrics I track are the most relevant for our stage. Earlier today, an audit revealed a better metric to implement, over the coming months (especially now, with being in 2 markets). Seek out and find others with more wisdom than you and spend the time to audit your beliefs. At that point, you can start to grow fast.
1 slide pitch in week 2 at YC (W19). Don’t be afraid to focus on that $100 MRR.