Founders love addition. More hires. More dashboards. More products. But the real test of leadership at scale is subtraction. Every layer you add feels like progress. Yet over time, the weight of complexity exceeds the growth it’s meant to drive. What once looked like momentum turns into drag. I’ve seen companies stall not because markets dried up, but because leaders couldn’t stop doing what no longer served compounding. The heroics that got you to $10M are the very habits that break you at $50M. Three questions I use when pressure builds: 1. What have we added that no longer compounds? Vanity features, pet projects, or feel-good metrics. 2. What are we holding on to that no longer creates edge? Legacy routines, outdated partnerships, roles that drain more than they deliver. 3. Where are we duplicating effort? Teams solving the same problem differently, or layers of reporting that repeat the same story. Capital doesn’t forgive clutter — it amplifies it. The discipline to subtract is what separates scale from stall. Clarity compounds faster than capital. Question for you: What’s the hardest thing you’ve had to stop doing as your company scaled? ♻️ Share this story with your network - let's spread inspiration far and wide! 👉 Follow Ben Botes for more insights on Leadership, Scale-Ups & Impact Investment.
Alain Belanger 2mo
Scaling often feels like building, yet the unseen discipline is knowing when to dismantle what no longer compounds. That paradox defines leadership at its truest level.
Daniel Lindberg 2mo
I had to stop equating more reporting with better control. It turned out that every extra dashboard was actually pulling my team away from the work that mattered.
Balpreet Singh 2mo
Founders often underestimate the emotional weight of subtraction. It feels like betrayal until you see the clarity it creates for the next chapter.
Amisha Thakur 2mo
I’ve come to see subtraction as the ultimate test of conviction. You have to trust the clarity more than the comfort of habit.
At one point, I had to step back from micromanaging hiring. It felt like losing control, yet it gave space for leaders around me to grow.
Allan Fine 2mo
Ben Botes, subtraction strips leaders of their illusions. Without the noise, you’re left with the bare truth of what actually compounds.
Growth isn’t just about building; it’s about editing. The leaders who scale sustainably know when to subtract, not just when to add. Because complexity isn’t a sign of progress; it’s often a signal that clarity has been compromised.
Anthony Mannella 2mo
I refer to this as operating with a lean mentality. I tell clients to introduce better processes and systems to solve problems instead of adding people to fix problems because when times get tough we naturally start shedding people to stay alive. Great processes and systems stand the test of time. The caveat to this thinking is that companies forget that key people need qualified and competent backups too. I’ve seen companies fail for not preparing for succession or the unexpected demise or loss of key strategic movers and shakers in their organization. It’s a balancing act to find the right ratio.
Removing a product line that once carried our story nearly broke us emotionally. But it gave us capital and focus to pursue the market that truly mattered. Looking back, it was the moment we became a scale-up, not just a scrappy start-up.
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