Most businesses start with a spark, an idea fueled by hunger, resilience, or grit. But sustaining that energy through scale is the real challenge. Founders and leaders play a defining role in that journey. The same values, authenticity, and style that ignite early momentum can easily crush it. That’s why builders and entrepreneurs are essential to a new business. Think Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, or Sara Blakely. But that style is NOT for everyone, especially those who prefer less “out-front” leaders. These founders are visionary, pushing their teams to act in the way they want every employee to show up.
But leaders at successful companies realize that business and talent need to change when moving from idea to execution to real scale. With growth comes complexity, and with complexity comes the risk of losing what made you successful in the first place.
I am a firm believer that it’s possible to scale without losing either the speed or the special energy that makes the early stage so dynamic. Here’s how.
BUILD IT RIGHT
It’s common for early-stage company culture to revolve around the founder’s values, style, and passion. What actually makes it work? Leaders recruiting like-minded people, aligning around a clear vision, and rallying teams toward a common goal. But what’s equally as important are the challengers, those who push them to think and do differently. Success can’t be tied to just one person.
To manage growth and cultivate innovation, you need two types of people: leaders who provide guidance and trust, and entrepreneurs who move fast and are comfortable with failure.
Why is this so important? It establishes both the arena and terms for innovation. AI is shifting innovation to the edges of the organization. That’s a good thing, as long as leaders set the direction and standards, so speed doesn’t turn into waste or redundancy. Trust is equally important. No one takes risks or tries new things in a culture where failure equals termination. Leaders who ask for innovation hold others accountable, and see failure as a learning opportunity that will foster more successful teams and outcomes.
MOVE QUICKLY AND DECISIVELY
What’s also critical to ongoing entrepreneurship is a functioning feedback loop. We know that not every initiative will be a gamechanger, and that’s okay. The key is to find out quickly. That’s why we help clients build a quick prototype, test it fast, and either double down or shut it down before we’re too far down the line. Doing that effectively requires leaders who can collaborate but not necessarily seek consensus. They need to digest input—from customers, employees, and influencers—and cut through it to make go/no-go decisions quickly. Wishy-washy or delayed decisions destroy entrepreneurial spirit.
Fail-fast cultures become harder to maintain as the stakes get higher. Everyone may understand in theory that the only way to discover breakthroughs is to experiment. But reality hits the moment you’re sitting across from an investor staring at a tough quarter or a revenue dip. That’s exactly why it’s important to celebrate mistakes (yes, you heard that right), learn from them, and allow them to fuel what comes next.
In those moments, “fail fast” can sound like “we’re failing, period.” But the best investors don’t expect perfection. They’re looking for accountability and transparency about why it didn’t work and what you learned. That builds trust.
In Airbnb’s early days, an investor advised the cofounders to go door-to-door with a camera to improve listing photos at underperforming properties. It worked on a small scale, but became painful and impossible. So they pivoted, first by hiring others, then expanded by offering photography to property owners. The failure wasn’t the end—it was a learning leading to a bigger business opportunity.
Another example of this is with the Calm app, which started as a guided meditation platform but quickly hit a ceiling because users needed more variety. They pivoted by expanding into other content types, like sleep stories and mental health resources. What started as a narrow tool evolved and became more impactful because the team learned fast and iterated even faster.
REWARD INTENTIONALLY
Most technology and services companies rely on strong sales and delivery teams to drive revenue and support customers. Sales professionals are commonly charged with quotas and rewarded on deal size. That model works well, but if the organization only rewards selling and delivery, that’s where the energy and focus will go.
In my experience, incentivizing entrepreneurs, innovators, and idea-drivers is equally important. It’s not about delivering a bonus for every idea, but having a system that tracks impact KPIs like success rates, impact on sales and reputation, and time saved. With a clear incentive and KPI framework, plus a space to share stories that highlight both smart failures and big wins, you’ll spark entrepreneurial energy across every level and department.
When it’s working, you can see it and feel it: Teams challenge each other productively in meetings, new ideas flow consistently, and careers progress quickly. Speed is not sacrificed with the addition of discipline and relentless prioritization. At West Monroe, we also recognize the importance of celebrating and rewarding a culture of innovation by awarding bonuses to those who bring new ideas to life in ways that drive commercial success.
Companies that build this type of culture—and nurture it intentionally—won’t just survive in this era of constant disruption, they’ll create and lead it.
Casey Foss is chief commercial officer at West Monroe Partners.