You built something people pay for. Now the machine has to be built.
Roughly one to five million in revenue. Funded, usually. Growing, usually. Though if you're honest, nobody can say exactly why.
This is the awkward middle. Founder instinct isn't quite enough any more, and a proper executive team is still well out of reach. It's also the most expensive place to get things wrong, because you finally have enough momentum to travel a very long way in the wrong direction.
What we'd do about it is over on what we do. If you'd rather just find out what's really going on, that's Ground Truth.
What we usually walk into.
If a few of these sting a bit, you're in good company. We've seen all of them, and we've caused one or two of them ourselves.
A pitch that comes out differently depending on which of you is giving it.
A price set two years ago by looking at a competitor who was also guessing.
A roadmap that's really just the last five customer conversations, in order.
Money going out on things nobody has questioned since the day they started.
Customer research that turns out to be opinions, held very confidently.
A founder who is the single point of failure for every decision that matters, and who knows it.
None of it means you're behind.
Bringing in senior help early isn't a sign that something's gone wrong. It's what well run companies do, and if your board suggested it, that means they're doing their job rather than losing faith in you.