Building the “Counter Pressing” Company Machine

Many times you can hear people (investors, advisors, founders and others) about the lean startup and the lean approach. Having built several companies and in building mode again, I want to share a few of my views and playbook rules. First of all, I want to go for the scaleup, this scary, difficult and uncontrollable phase of company growth. I also think that every founder and startup should go for the scaleup as quickly as possible and try it, to see what true potential lies in the innovation and disruption.

My aim is to use the most important asset — PEOPLE, to build a highly functional, motivated and dedicated team, where all activities provides value. We need to be extremely hands-on, with a solid customer drive, and communication needs to be clear sharing data and information freely within the team. You could compare this with a football team and counter pressing tactics. Everyone has to put their maximum efforts on gaining the possession and attacking quickly. This is what I want for my teams and companies. We need to be the best at the business equivalent to counter pressing. We want to be technology and market leaders. This is the company machine.

Many make the mistake of thinking that lean startups means very careful operations, cash preservation unlimited and a small undermanned team. This smells “stallup” and failure en masse. Ensure to avoid this, still 90% of startups fail. People is the most important asset, and diversity is a business opportunity.

Here is a table comparing the COMPANY MACHINE with the fake LEAN approach:

Based on creating this type of company — how much is relying on luck? Are you lucky creating your success? If you have done this journey, and you know how much effort it takes, not just of you, but your whole team, then I am certain that your answer is NO, this is not related to luck. A bit of luck can be in the equation for circumstances around deals and exits. But that is not and never the main ingredient.

Let’s look at some of the aspects a bit closer:

1. TEAM — as I state, people is the most important asset. If you have the wrong team, with a chronical undermanning and everyone running the one-man shows — will that succeed? With A LOT OF LUCK perhaps…
2. FUNDING. Any funds you get you try to keep on to as long as possible and haul out any development and deliveries with your undermanned team running one-man shows. I say GOOD LUCK.
3. MARKETING. You are selling in an existing market to the same customers as your competitors, without any brand recognition and a product based on what you consider being perfect. You hardly have a good supply chain and your customer services will suck. Will this work? Luck is probably the only remedy.
4. PRODUCT. You are your own technology focused and try to sell on price. Doesn’t sound easy. Try your luck.

I think you get it. All of the above will be based on mainly LUCK. But you should see why this is not going to be easy at all. Death is looming, here is what goes into that 90% startup scrap bin.

So creating that counter pressing team and getting the TEAM — FUNDING — MARKETING — PRODUCT right, means that you have a much different approach.

1. You have built a diverse motivated team, with a strong customer drive, where internal communication and information flows well. Everyone knows their value contribution in terms of the strategy implementation. Data is captured and monitored to keep on improving any internal work flows.
2. Funding is used to take you to the next major milestone, and you work actively with investors to plan ahead for the next funding round. The funds are used to create value.
3. Your marketing force is used to build a world-leading company with great brand recognition. There is a strong higher purpose with the business to improve society. You collaborate with international corporates that can improve their performance, enabling a big overall impact.
4. You constantly work on solving real customer problems. You create unique solutions with high value and pivot when necessary.

I don’t think this is easy to create, it is extremely hard to achieve. But having built business and building again, I see how fantastic, efficient your team and company can become, and it starts with the people. As such I am also extremely happy when we together are able to go far and have a success. And at the same time see how giant established corporate competitors actually fears you. Go and build your success, start with finding the right people to create it with and be passionate about why you are doing it. Become a technology and market leader you too!

/Mika