ABSTRACT
A growth strategy involves more than simply envisioning long-term success. This chapter focuses on reverse engineering, where the people are asked to refine their product based on the needs and expectations of the targeted customer base, gathered from interacting with said audience. The fundamental characteristics of each of the growth strategies and the differences among them provide important insights into the diversity of opportunities for early-stage company growth. Chaos leadership requires steady nerves and clarity. The following are ways to manage chaos in a startup environment: be open to change; cut losses quickly; lead the change for the team; celebrate little successes; and embrace change as fun. Simply stated, Szycher Michael's Law of Decreased Productivity states that adding incremental manpower to an ongoing project paradoxically delays the project. The chapter outlines a quick but comprehensive summary of The Founder's Dilemmas: Anticipating and Avoiding the Pitfalls That Can Sink a Startup, released in 2013 by Princeton University Press.
