Stop Glorifying Scale: Build the Foundation First

Let’s cut to the chase.

It’s time we stop glorifying scaling.

Scaling doesn’t start the journey—it’s what comes after you’ve found the path.

And yet, every week I find myself in conversations with founders, executives, and Customer Success leaders who are laser-focused on one question:

“How do we scale?”

They’re looking for automation rules. Templates. Playbooks. Tools. They want to move fast. They want to stretch limited resources. And they believe that scale is the answer to their problems.

I get it.

But here’s the thing: scale isn’t the first step.

Scale is what you earn after you’ve proven something works—not before. Not during. After.

It’s like building a freeway before you know where the traffic is going.

You don’t optimize for scale before you optimize for value.

The Pitfalls of Premature Scaling

Let’s talk about what I see far too often:

❌ Hiring teams before defining roles and outcomes

❌ Automating poor customer experiences

❌ Rolling out one-size-fits-all playbooks

❌ Launching technology without the process to support it

❌ Reporting on vanity metrics instead of meaningful impact

If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. But just because it’s common doesn’t make it right.

What to Do Before You Scale

Here’s where your energy should go before you hit the gas:

✅ Start Small

Pilot new processes with a small cohort of customers. Understand what actually drives success before you try to repeat it.

✅ Get Feedback

Lean into Voice of Customer programs, team insights, and actual performance data. Feedback is your compass—follow it.

✅ Define Success

You can’t scale what you can’t define. Establish clear success metrics tied to outcomes, not just activity.

✅ Document the Process

Great things aren’t repeatable unless they’re written down. Create workflows, templates, and training materials that support consistency.

✅ Invest in Enablement

Before you scale a motion, make sure your team knows how to execute it. Train, reinforce, and coach.

✅ Validate Tech Decisions

Technology should support a process, not substitute for one. Don’t solve symptoms with software—solve problems at the root.

Scale Should Amplify the Right Things

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Scaling a broken process just spreads the pain faster.

If your foundation is shaky, scale doesn’t fix it—it magnifies the cracks.

So before you build for scale, ask yourself:

💡 Do we even know what’s working?

💡 Have we earned the right to scale this yet?

Because scale is only powerful when it’s amplifying the right things—value, outcomes, experiences.

Build where there’s momentum. Then make it repeatable.

That’s how you scale. And more importantly, that’s how you sustain.