The Founder's Mentality

All companies strive for profitable growth, but you believe it eludes many for a common reason. What is it?

In my 25 years of researching this topic and working with clients, one theme has come up again and again: complexity. In my view, complexity is the silent killer of growth, and it operates at many levels. For instance, over time you can accumulate too many businesses, projects or assets. LEGO got into a lot of trouble 15 years ago by doing just that, and it had to strip all the complexity out and return to its core. It has since enjoyed a great resurgence.

Complexity can also come into the design of your products or services, via the number of options offered. There are great examples of start-ups going into the telecom world and doing the opposite — creating very simple offerings. For instance, in the Netherlands, tiny went up against giant and almost completely took over