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Our Business Building, People and Management Philosophy
We embrace the principles outlined below and bring all of our unique experiences to the table when we partner and consult, but we are not limited by legacy models, and we never rely on a "one size fits all" process. We practice what we refer to as artisanal management: hand crafting solutions that are company-specific and relevant to particular ecosystems and individual situations and goals. We want to help develop cultures and build organizations that are flat, open, engaged and diverse.
Entrepreneurship and management are not mutually exclusive
Management does not have to mean bureaucracy, nor should it have to undermine or inhibit innovation. Instead it should be integral to and enable growth, initiative and creativity and facilitate the realization of entrepreneurial vision and strategic objectives. One of the most important functions of a manager is the excavation and evaluation of all great ideas, no matter the source, and they should be supported by a lattice of mental models and robust decision making frameworks.
Analytical rigor does not mean rigidity or loss of creativity
Though the future can’t be predicted fully, accretive management fuses data-based decision making with insight/intuition and allows innovators and entrepreneurs to assess market, competitive, and organizational potential and constraints, analyze probability-weighted expected-outcome scenarios, be proactively intelligent about risk, and drive out random variation from the organization to the extent possible. Strong leaders build agility and resilience into individuals, teams and companies to prepare for and react rationally/opportunistically to future disruption, unforeseen setbacks and navigate the pivots wisely.
Discipline is necessary and does not have to negate flexibility
Even when funding dollars are flowing, there appears to be no “friction” in the system, and growth potential seems nearly limitless, ultimately resources are not infinite and capital is not free. Asset allocation (financial capital and human capital) choices still should be made, timed and prioritized based on rigorous quantitative analysis combined with keen insight and intuition. High standards for decision making must be maintained, opportunity costs considered, unintended consequences considered, and return hurdle rates should be risk adjusted and set at value creating thresholds. Just as you do not want to under resource businesses relative to their true potential, there is a real penalty cost to and viability threat from overcapitalization. As opposed to just assigning blame for mistakes and missed targets after the fact, instill engagement and “ownership” mentality in employees to ensure all are respectful of the true value of resources and invested in the outcomes.
A company cannot become a static and closed entity
Companies are human, social organizations that expand and evolve to create something new, often in the context of great uncertainty. Even small/early stage companies quickly need to become collaborative systems, processing and adjusting to new information and unified around the achievement of shared goals. The notions of "corporate culture" and "fit" -if mishandled- can create a closed system and devolve into a narrowness of thinking that stifles diversity of thought.
Short term focus should not obscure long term perspective
Entrepreneurs may focus on immediacy of innovation, short-term time frames and rapid-fire introduction/implementation of products, but entrepreneurship does also require broader perspective and long-term investments in people, intellectual capital and infrastructure if viable, scalable and sustainable business models are to be built. The need to hire large numbers rapidly should not sacrifice quality of the employees and it is more than the hire: the focus must also extend to keeping best performing valuable employees motivated, engaged, developed, inspired and retained on the platform.
Ultimately execution takes priority over strategy and vision
Create systems of validated learning with separate measurements for information and for motivation. Given the difficulty of accurate forecasting in context of uncertainty, use metrics to track reality relative to goals. As observations and data replace assumptions: (a) disseminate/ be transparent with the harvested information into the organization; (b) make real-time adjustments to models, projections, systems, products; (c) build an accountability culture for individuals/teams to motivate and reward for strong performance and make changes to those not being effective. Managers must prevent “measurement dysfunction” by ensuring (a) truly relevant metrics are tracked; (b) individual learning is shared even when it highlights weakness; (c) employees are as focused on the “how” (process quality) as well as the “what” (goal achievement). Consequences for weak performance will ensue but accountability should be more constructive and motivating than punitive.
Photo credits: AQPC