Navigating the turbulent waters of startup growth can be a daunting task, but fear not - we've compiled a list of 50 resources (most of them unobvious) to help you overcome the seven most common growth pains.
Scaling the mission is a struggle
With so many things happening at the same time, it's easy to get distracted and lose sight of your core mission and vision. This might even be causing anxiety and confusion in your team.
Revisit and reiterate your mission and vision.
Regularly revisiting mission and vision keeps focus.
- Mission Statement Generator by Shopify (Free) - Helps craft compelling and concise mission statements.
- Holacracy (Paid) - A complete system for self-organization in companies.
- Vision Statement: The Ultimate Guide by HubSpot (Free) - Guide to creating an impactful vision statement.
- Asana (Freemium) - Project management tool to track mission progress.
- Business Model Canvas (Free) - A strategic management and lean startup template.
Prioritize tasks and projects.
Prioritizing tasks and projects ensures essential tasks are completed.
- Trello (Freemium) - A tool to visualize and prioritize tasks.
- Prioritizing Tasks and Time Management-MindTools (Free) - An article on task prioritization and time management.
- MoSCoW Method (Free) - A framework for prioritizing tasks and projects.
- Todoist (Freemium) - A task management app to prioritize tasks.
- Eisenhower Matrix (Free) - A decision-making tool for prioritizing tasks.
Delegate responsibilities.
Delegating responsibilities can prevent burnout and increase efficiency.
- Slack (Freemium) - A communication tool to coordinate and delegate tasks.
- Delegation 101: The Ultimate Guide to Delegating by Process.St (Free) - A comprehensive guide on task delegation.
- Zapier (Freemium) - Automate tasks by connecting your apps.
- RACI Matrix (Free) - A framework for role and responsibility allocation.
- Basecamp (Paid) - Project management tool for task delegation.
Use productivity tools to stay organized.
Productivity tools can help maintain organization and focus.
- Notion (Freemium) - An all-in-one workspace for notes, tasks, wikis.
- Evernote (Freemium) - A note-taking app for organization and productivity.
- Google Keep (Free) - A simple note-taking app for quick ideas.
- KanbanFlow (Freemium) - A lean project management tool for productivity.
- RescueTime (Freemium) - Track time spent on tasks for productivity.
Regularly review company goals.
Regular review of company goals keeps the team aligned.
- OKRs - Objectives and Key Results (Free) - A framework for goal-setting and tracking.
- Goal Setting: A Fresh Perspective by Oracle (Free) - An in-depth guide on goal setting.
- Workday (Paid) - A tool for finance, HR, and planning.
- SMART Goals Template (Free) - A template for creating SMART goals.
- KPI Dashboard by Databox (Freemium) - A tool to track key performance indicators.
Scaling your operations is a nightmare
As your startup grows, so does the complexity of your operations. The processes that used to work when you were a smaller team are now causing bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
Invest in technology to streamline processes.
Technology can help streamline and automate processes.
- Zapier (Freemium) - Automate repetitive tasks between different online apps.
- IFTTT (Free) - Create custom automation workflows between online tools.
- Process Street (Freemium) - Document and manage repeating business procedures.
- Integromat (Freemium) - Advanced online automation and integration platform.
- Airtable (Freemium) - Organize work with customizable workflows.
Hire operations experts.
Operations experts can handle and improve complex processes.
- Upwork (Free to post jobs) - Freelance platform to hire operations experts.
- Fiverr (Free to post jobs) - Marketplace for freelance services.
- Toptal (Free to post jobs) - Hire top 3% of freelance talents.
- Freelancer (Free to post jobs) - Freelance marketplace with millions of users.
- Guru (Free to post jobs) - Platform for hiring freelance professionals.
Develop a scalable business model.
A scalable business model can accommodate growth.
- Leanstack (Free) - Create a lean canvas for your startup.
- Canvanizer (Free) - Create and collaborate on business model canvases.
- Javelin (Freemium) - Test your startup idea and build a business model.
- Strategyzer (Paid) - Tools for business model generation and value proposition design.
- LivePlan (Paid) - Create and share your business plan online.
Continually review and optimize processes.
Regular process optimization prevents bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
- Asana (Freemium) - Manage team projects and tasks online.
- Trello (Freemium) - Organize and prioritize projects in a fun way.
- Lucidchart (Freemium) - Create and share flowcharts, diagrams, and more.
- ClickUp (Freemium) - All-in-one project management tool.
- Smartsheet (Paid) - Manage and automate collaborative work.
Implement a project management system.
A project management system can ensure efficient workflow and communication.
- Monday (Paid) - Manage work and teams in one place.
- Basecamp (Paid) - Project management tool for easy collaboration.
- Wrike (Freemium) - Collaborative project management tool.
- Zoho Projects (Freemium) - Online project management software for businesses.
- Slack (Freemium) - Communication hub for teams.
Maintaining company culture getting tough
When you started, you were a close-knit team with a strong, unified culture. Now, with new people joining, it's getting harder to maintain that culture and ensure everyone feels valued and included.
Regularly communicate company values.
Regular communication of company values ensures cultural alignment.
- Slack (Freemium) - Platform for team communication and collaboration.
- Mattermost (Free) - Open-source alternative to Slack for team communication.
- Zulip (Free) - Open source team chat with email-style threading.
- Rocket.Chat (Free) - Open-source team chat platform with real-time translation.
- Google Groups (Free) - Platform for group communication and discussion.
Encourage team-building activities.
Team-building activities foster unity and collaboration.
- Trello (Freemium) - Tool for organizing tasks and projects in a fun, flexible way.
- Icebreaker (Free) - Platform for virtual team-building activities.
- QuizBreaker (Paid) - Online quiz game for remote teams.
- TeamBuilding (Paid) - Virtual team-building events and activities.
- Slido (Freemium) - Interactive Q&A and polling platform for meetings and events.
Foster a culture of inclusivity.
An inclusive culture can make everyone feel valued.
- Project Include (Free) - Resource for building inclusive tech companies.
- Gender Decoder (Free) - Tool for checking gender bias in job ads.
- Atlassian Team Playbook (Free) - Free resource for fostering inclusive team culture.
- Diversityjobs (Paid) - Job board and resume database for diversity recruitment.
- Unconscious Bias Training (Free) - Podcast on unconscious bias in the workplace.
Provide regular feedback and recognition.
Regular feedback and recognition boosts morale and performance.
- 15Five (Freemium) - Tool for continuous employee feedback, OKRs, and peer recognition.
- Bonusly (Freemium) - Platform for peer-to-peer employee recognition and rewards.
- Kudos (Freemium) - Employee recognition system and corporate social network.
- Peergrade (Free) - Tool for peer feedback in education.
- Happyforce (Freemium) - Platform for continuous employee feedback.
Implement a mentorship program.
A mentorship program can help employees grow and feel supported.
- MentorCity (Freemium) - Online mentoring software for business and education.
- Together (Freemium) - Platform for running internal employee mentoring programs.
- Chronus (Paid) - Software for launching, managing, and measuring mentoring programs.
- MentorNet (Free) - Online mentoring community for STEM students.
- Ten Thousand Coffees (Freemium) - Platform for networking and career development.
Your competition is getting fierce
When you launched, you were the new kids on the block with a unique product. But now, competitors are cropping up everywhere, offering similar products or services. It's a constant battle to stay ahead.
Invest in market research.
Market research can provide valuable insights to stay ahead.
- SurveyMonkey (Freemium) - Survey tool for collecting customer feedback and market insights.
- Google Trends (Free) - Tool for understanding market trends and consumer behavior.
- Statista (Freemium) - Provides statistics and data on various industries and markets.
- Qualaroo (Freemium) - Tool for website user feedback and insights.
- Social Mention (Free) - Social media analytics and sentiment analysis tool.
Continuously improve your product.
Continual product improvement can outpace competitors.
- Jira (Freemium) - Project management tool for tracking product development.
- GitHub (Freemium) - Platform for collaborative software development.
- Trello (Freemium) - Tool for managing projects and tasks.
- UserVoice (Freemium) - Platform for collecting and prioritizing customer feedback.
- Asana (Freemium) - Work management platform for teams.
Understand your competition's strengths.
Understanding competitors' strengths can guide your strategies.
- SEMRush (Freemium) - SEO tool that includes competitor analysis.
- SpyFu (Freemium) - Tool for researching competitors' keywords and AdWords.
- BuzzSumo (Freemium) - Tool for analyzing competitors' content marketing.
- SimilarWeb (Freemium) - Web analytics service for tracking competitors' website traffic.
- Owler (Freemium) - Provides business profiles and competitive analysis.
Develop a unique selling proposition.
A unique selling proposition distinguishes you from competitors.
- Canva (Freemium) - Design tool for creating visual content.
- Grammarly (Freemium) - Tool for improving writing quality and clarity.
- Hemingway Editor (Free) - App for improving readability of text.
- Unbounce (Freemium) - Tool for building and testing landing pages.
- Typeform (Freemium) - Tool for creating interactive forms and surveys.
Focus on customer satisfaction.
Customer satisfaction can lead to loyalty and referrals.
- Zendesk (Freemium) - Customer service software and support ticket system.
- Freshdesk (Freemium) - Customer support software and ticketing system.
- SurveyMonkey (Freemium) - Survey tool for collecting customer feedback.
- UserReport (Free) - Tool for collecting user feedback and satisfaction scores.
- LiveChat (Freemium) - Live chat software for customer service.
Struggling to balance customer satisfaction with growth
As you're growing, it's getting harder to keep your customers happy. There are more queries, more complaints, and keeping up with them while still focusing on growth is a real challenge.
Invest in customer service training.
Customer service training can improve customer satisfaction.
- Lessonly (Freemium) - A training software for customer service teams.
- Customer Service Skills for Success (Paid) - A book on developing customer service skills.
- Alison's Customer Service Training (Freemium) - An online diploma course in customer service.
- Coursera's Customer Service Courses (Freemium) - A collection of online customer service courses.
- Udemy's Customer Service Courses (Freemium) - A variety of online courses for customer service.
Use customer feedback to improve.
Customer feedback can guide improvements.
- JotForm (Freemium) - Online form builder for feedback collection.
- UserVoice (Freemium) - Tool for collecting and analyzing user feedback.
- Survicate (Freemium) - Customer feedback tool for discovering user preferences.
- Feedbackify (Paid) - Customizable website feedback solution.
- Hotjar (Freemium) - A tool for understanding user behavior.
Implement a customer relationship management system.
A CRM system can manage and improve customer relationships.
- HubSpot CRM (Free) - A free CRM tool for small businesses.
- Insightly (Freemium) - CRM software for managing customer data and interactions.
- Zoho CRM (Freemium) - CRM software designed for small businesses.
- Pipedrive (Freemium) - Sales CRM for small teams with big ambitions.
- Freshsales (Freemium) - A fully integrated CRM tool for high-velocity sales teams.
Prioritize customer satisfaction metrics.
Prioritizing customer satisfaction metrics can drive growth.
- Medallia (Paid) - A platform for managing customer experience metrics.
- Qualtrics CustomerXM (Paid) - A tool for measuring and improving customer satisfaction.
- Podium (Paid) - A tool for managing online reviews and customer feedback.
- HappyOrNot (Paid) - A tool for real-time customer satisfaction reporting.
- Nicereply (Freemium) - A tool for measuring customer satisfaction, NPS and CES.
Hire a dedicated customer success team.
A dedicated customer success team ensures customer needs are met.
- JobScore (Freemium) - An applicant tracking system to help hire the right people.
- Workable (Freemium) - A tool for streamlining the hiring process.
- The Making of a Customer Success Manager (Freemium) - A course on becoming a customer success manager.
- Breezy HR (Freemium) - A modern, visual applicant tracking system.
- The Art of Customer Success (Paid) - A book about the practice of customer success.
Running out of funds faster than you're gaining traction
You have a brilliant idea, a motivated team, but your burn rate is high and the return on investment is taking longer than expected. It might even keep you up at night wondering how to keep the lights on.
Reevaluate your business model.
Reevaluating the business model can improve financial health.
- Lean Canvas (Free) - A simple business model framework to review your strategy.
- Business Model Generation (Free) - A practical tool to re-think your business model.
- Why Startups Need a Business Model (Free) - Article on reevaluating business models for startups.
- Business Model Fiddle (Free) - A business model brainstorming tool.
- Business Model Toolbox (Paid) - Toolbox to help redesign your business model.
Seek additional funding sources.
Additional funding sources can provide financial stability.
- Grants.gov (Free) - Search for available government grants.
- Indiegogo (Free) - Crowdfunding platform for startups.
- SeedInvest (Free) - Equity crowdfunding platform for startups.
- Kickstarter (Free) - Crowdfunding platform for creative projects.
- FundsforNGOs (Free) - Funding resources for non-profit startups.
Cut unnecessary costs.
Cutting unnecessary costs can help manage burn rate.
- Mint (Free) - Budgeting tool to track expenses.
- GnuCash (Free) - Open-source financial accounting software.
- 5 Ways to Cut Costs (Free) - Article on cutting costs in startups.
- BudgetSimple (Freemium) - Easy budgeting tool to cut expenses.
- HomeBank (Free) - Free software to manage personal accounting.
Increase focus on sales and revenue.
Focusing on sales and revenue can accelerate ROI.
- Pipedrive (Freemium) - CRM tool to increase sales efficiency.
- Salesforce (Freemium) - CRM software to manage sales and customer relationships.
- 5 Strategies to Increase Revenue (Free) - Article on strategies to increase revenue.
- Zoho CRM (Freemium) - Software to manage customer relations and sales.
- Sales Management Association (Free) - Resources and articles on sales management.
Consider a financial advisor.
A financial advisor can provide expert guidance and planning.
- NerdWallet (Free) - Guide to find a financial advisor.
- Financial Planning Association (Free) - Professional organization for financial planners.
- Investopedia (Free) - Article on the role of a financial advisor.
- Certified Financial Planner Board (Free) - Certification body for financial planners.
- Financial Advisors vs. Financial Planners (Free) - Article on choosing a financial advisor or planner.
Managing investor expectations is exhausting
As a startup, you're accountable to your investors. They have high expectations and it's a constant challenge to keep them satisfied while also staying true to your vision.
Regularly communicate with investors.
Regular communication with investors maintains trust.
- MailChimp (Freemium) - Create and manage newsletters for investor updates.
- Article: Investor Communication (Free) - Insights on maintaining investor relations.
- Doodle (Freemium) - Schedule and manage investor meetings.
- Slack (Freemium) - Facilitate quick communication with investors.
- Medium (Free) - Share company updates to investors publicly.
Be transparent about challenges.
Transparency about challenges can manage investor expectations.
- Article: Startup Transparency (Free) - Insights on the importance of transparency.
- Google Sheets (Free) - Track and share company metrics.
- Open (Free) - Example of a transparent company blog.
- GitHub (Freemium) - Share codebase for transparency.
- Article: Transparency in Startups (Free) - Examples of transparency in startups.
Set realistic goals and expectations.
Realistic goals and expectations can prevent disappointment.
- Trello (Freemium) - Manage and track company goals.
- Article: SMART Goals (Free) - Guide to setting SMART goals.
- Asana (Freemium) - Track progress towards goals.
- Article: Realistic Expectations (Free) - Advice on setting realistic expectations.
- OKR Framework (Free) - Framework for goal setting.
Hire a dedicated investor relations manager.
An investor relations manager can handle investor communications.
- LinkedIn (Freemium) - Find investor relations managers.
- Glassdoor (Free) - Check average salaries for IR managers.
- Article: Hiring IR Manager (Free) - Guide to hiring an IR manager.
- Indeed (Free) - Post job listings for IR manager.
- Zoho Recruit (Freemium) - Manage recruitment process.
Develop a strong business plan.
A strong business plan can demonstrate potential for return.
- Enloop (Freemium) - Automatically write business plans.
- Article: Writing a Business Plan (Free) - Guide to writing a business plan.
- Lean Canvas (Free) - Framework for business planning.
- LivePlan (Paid) - Business plan software.
- Article: Business Plan Mistakes (Free) - Common business plan mistakes.
The pressure to innovate is overwhelming
In the fast-paced startup world, you're only as good as your next big idea. This constant pressure to innovate, to stay ahead of the curve, is exhausting.
Foster a culture of innovation.
Fostering a culture of innovation can keep your startup competitive.
- Soapbox (Freemium) - A tool to improve team meetings and foster innovation.
- Innovation Culture Article (Free) - Article on how to build an innovative culture.
- The Lean Startup (Free) - Framework for efficient business operations.
- IdeaScale (Freemium) - Crowdsourcing tool for gathering innovative ideas.
- Open Innovation Toolkit (Free) - Toolkit to innovate openly and collaboratively.
Encourage employee creativity.
Encouraging employee creativity can generate innovative ideas.
- Creativity 365 (Freemium) - Tools to enhance creativity and productivity.
- Creativity at Work Article (Free) - Article on fostering creativity at the workplace.
- Miro (Freemium) - Collaborative online whiteboard platform.
- Canva (Freemium) - Design tool to encourage visual creativity.
- Mind Tools Creativity Tools (Free) - Collection of creativity boosting tools.
Allocate time for brainstorming sessions.
Brainstorming sessions can result in new solutions and products.
- Stormboard (Freemium) - Online brainstorming and collaboration tool.
- Brainstorming Article (Free) - Article on effective brainstorming strategies.
- MindMeister (Freemium) - Mind mapping tool for brainstorming.
- GroupMap (Freemium) - Tool for brainstorming in groups.
- Brainstorming Techniques Framework (Free) - Framework for effective brainstorming techniques.
Stay informed about industry trends.
Staying informed about industry trends can guide innovation.
- Google Scholar (Free) - Search engine for scholarly literature.
- Trend Watching Article (Free) - Article on how to spot industry trends.
- Feedly (Freemium) - Tool to organize and read industry news.
- Trend Hunter (Freemium) - World's largest trend community.
- CB Insights (Freemium) - Tech market intelligence platform.
Collaborate with other innovative companies.
Collaboration with other companies can spark new ideas.
- Slack (Freemium) - Communication tool for collaboration.
- Collaboration Article (Free) - Article on benefits of business collaboration.
- Trello (Freemium) - Tool to organize and prioritize projects.
- Asana (Freemium) - Project management tool for collaboration.
- OpenIDEO (Free) - Global community to solve big challenges.
Struggling with decision fatigue
As a member of the leadership team, you're constantly making decisions. Big or small, each decision carries weight and it's starting to take a toll on you and your team.
Practice effective time management.
Effective time management can reduce decision fatigue.
- Toggl (Freemium) - A simple time tracker to manage time effectively.
- RescueTime (Freemium) - Understand your daily habits to manage your time.
- The Pomodoro Technique (Free) - A time management method to work with time, not against.
- Time Management for Startups: Quantify, Prioritize, and Automate (Free) - Video on time management for startups.
- Asana (Freemium) - A tool for organizing and planning workflows.
Delegate decision making when possible.
Delegating decisions can empower employees and reduce burden.
- Clockify (Freemium) - Tool for tracking work hours and delegating tasks.
- Delegation - The Art of Delegating Effectively (Free) - Article on how to delegate effectively.
- Airtable (Freemium) - Tool for organizing work and delegating tasks.
- Trello (Freemium) - A tool for project management and delegation.
- The Art of Delegation: Maximize Your Time, Leverage Others (Free) - Video on effective delegation.
Take regular breaks.
Regular breaks can prevent burnout and improve decision making.
- Stretchly (Free) - A break time reminder tool.
- The Science Behind Brain Breaks (Free) - Article on the importance of taking breaks.
- Mindfulness at Work: Using Mindful Leadership in the Workplace (Free) - Article on using mindfulness at work.
- Headspace (Freemium) - Mindfulness and meditation app for breaks.
- The Importance of Taking Breaks at Work (Free) - Video on the importance of taking breaks.
Prioritize decisions that align with company goals.
Prioritizing decisions ensures alignment with company goals.
- Week Plan (Freemium) - A tool to prioritize tasks aligned with goals.
- The Art of Prioritization: How to Choose What to Work on First (Free) - Article on how to prioritize tasks.
- The Eisenhower Box (Free) - A method to prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance.
- Priority Matrix (Freemium) - A tool to manage tasks and priorities.
- How to Prioritize When Everything Is Important (Free) - Video on how to prioritize tasks.
Develop a decision-making framework.
A decision-making framework can streamline and improve decisions.
- The OODA Loop (Free) - A decision-making framework.
- Decision Making Models: How to Make Good Decisions (Free) - Article on decision-making models.
- Rapid Decision Making for Complex Issues (Free) - Article on rapid decision-making.
- The Cynefin Framework (Free) - A decision-making framework for complex systems.
- How to Make Decisions Faster (Free) - Video on how to make decisions faster.
To grow successfully, Series A startups must strategically address talent, leadership, processes, markets, customers, investors, innovation, scalability, compliance, culture, and communication. Overcoming challenges brings sustainable success.