The document discusses the evolving nature of leadership as organizations scale, emphasizing the need for leaders to adapt their communication and decision-making approaches. It presents the importance of enabling others to make decisions while maintaining a strong company culture, even amidst growing complexities in products and customer bases. Various frameworks, such as the rapid framework for decision-making, are recommended to keep operations nimble and efficient.

2. Almost
everything
changes
Leadership Method
Planning Horizon
Communication
Role Definition
Decision-Making
Customer / Product Complexity
“When you are
finished
changing, you
are finished
– BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

3. As you scale, the % of employees that you
directly interact with & influence in your day-to-
day shrinks  your skills must scale to match
Communicate mission/vision/values/key
initiatives/etc.
Enable others to make decisions every day,
at all levels, because you won’t be present
Shift from
Leadership
leading by
example
leading
through
others
to leading
with ideas

4. Aperture must change
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
2022 2023 2024 2025
Net New ARR $8M $8M $8M
ARR % Growth 44% 31% 24%
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
2022 2023 2024 2025
Net New ARR $18M $27M $31.5M
ARR % Growth 100% 75% 50%
Not trying to survive the next month or quarter. Starting to think in quarters and years!
SCENARIO A: CONSTANT NET NEW ARR SCENARIO B: AVG. SAAS GROWTH RATES

5. Operations &
Communications
Architecture
OPERATING
Annual Planning, MBRs & QBRs & Board
Meetings, Weekly Ops Meetings
COMMUNICATIONS
Annual Kickoff & Summer Alignment,
Monthly All Hands

6. Broad/Shallow (Start -up) 
Narrow/Deep (Growth)
Hard for those who love start-up
experience of wearing multiple hats –
help them find next start-up
Backfill with someone who has seen 2-3
years ahead of current company stage
Role Specialization

7. Decision-making
KEEP THINGS NIMBLE
Everything slows down because
of interdependencies, unless
you find ways to keep things
nimble
RAPID FRAMEWORK
We used the RAPID
framework, but it can be
anything that allows people
to move fast
Recommend
a decision or action
P
I D
R
Formally agree to a
decision – views
must be reflected in
final proposals
A
Be accountable
for performing a
decision once
made
Provide input
to a
recommendation
Make the decision
Views must be
reflected in final
proposals
Views may or may
not be reflected in
final proposals
Commit the
organization to
action

8. Complexity: more products, more customers

9. “What mattered more than how hard a
man rowed was how well everything he
did in the boat harmonized with what the
other fellows were doing. And a man
couldn’t harmonize with his crewmates
unless he opened his heart to them. He
had to care about his crew. ”
The One Thing
That Doesn’t
Change: Culture