Chains and Growth

"Chains. Give women chains. They love to wear them." (Gabrielle Chanel). Do you ever wonder what chains and growth have in common?

It is not only Chanel that was fascinated by chains. I also like them. For me, chains are the best illustration for growth in a business. Chains are a system, they shine, they're flexible, they go up and can go down.

Same is growth in a business:

1/ Growth is a system. When building a business, one needs to tackle two levers: improve the product with new, better features and improve the performance of the channels through which the product reaches its community.

2/ Growth shines. When a business is done well, it always ends up with a ‘shiny’ finish. Rewards or if you want, money, always follow performance. The aim should not be the money, but rather fixing the product or the channels productivity. And if done well, money always follows.

3/ Growth is flexible. It is never rigid. It is not a straight line. It, therefore, requires an open, flexible approach in execution. Given that all businesses are solving a human problem, it is a live process, full of emotions and different perspectives. Thus, every growth model should be flexible, inclusive of the communities it serves. 

4/ And last, but not least, growth always implies the ‘fall’, the down turn. One needs to always understand the other side of the coin, so that the down turn is addressed quickly. Every fall should be used to find the new rising opportunity, for the business to thrive. 

Now, back to you, the creator. 

• How do you create growth?
• How do you improve the tactics to reach your customers?
• How do you decide on what features to bring to your product?
• How do you organise your milestones on the business roadmap?

See the 7 points - for the structure, the questions and practice you can make for your start up.