When is a startup no longer a startup? What must a new business do to transition into a mature company?
The journey from startup to established company entails specific changes in market approach and organizational structure. Steve Blank’s framework in The Four Steps to the Epiphany outlines three essential transitions that signal when a startup is ready to graduate into a larger enterprise.
Read on to discover how to successfully navigate this crucial and exciting transformation.
When a Startup Is No Longer a Startup
When is a startup no longer a startup? Blank identifies three key actions necessary for a startup to successfully transition into a larger company.
#1: Broad Market Appeal
First, the company must expand its customer base from the early adopters to the broader market. This shift requires a different approach to sales and marketing, as well as the ability to scale operations to meet increased demand. For example, a company that has appealed to their early adopters through business-to-business referrals might switch to viral marketing to reach mainstream customers.
(Shortform note: Cultivating a fanbase for your company can provide a crucial foundation for transitioning from early adopters to the broader market. In Superfans, Pat Flynn explains that superfans are deeply devoted customers who integrate a brand into their identity and daily life. These passionate supporters can offer significant benefits to a company, such as ensuring longevity, acting as brand ambassadors, and providing valuable feedback. Flynn proposes that customers progress through levels of engagement before potentially becoming superfans, and companies can foster this loyalty by creating value, building personal connections, and fostering a sense of community among fans.)
#2: Structure & Operations That Support Growth
Second, Blank explains that the organization needs to develop its structure and executive operations to support growth. Implement processes and procedures that allow for efficient operation at a larger scale, while still maintaining the flexibility and innovation that characterize successful startups. It’s a delicate balance between establishing necessary structure and avoiding stifling bureaucracy.
(Shortform note: Netflix shows how a company can scale its operations while still maintaining flexibility and innovation, and avoiding bureaucracy. In No Rules Rules, former Netflix CEO Reed Hastings explains that Netflix eliminated traditional controls to foster a more flexible and innovative environment as the company grew. According to Hastings, Netflix focused on hiring only top talent and retained them through competitive salaries and market-based pay adjustments—with highly capable employees, the company is able to grant them more autonomy. The company also empowers employees by sharing sensitive information and trusting them to make independent decisions without seeking approval.)
#3: Specialized Departments
Third, says Blank, the company must create departments that can respond quickly to changes in the market and customer needs. These units help maintain the mindset of information-gathering that drove the company’s initial success. They allow the organization to stay responsive to external factors such as competition, evolving customer preferences, and market trends.
(Shortform note: To create the specialized departments Blank recommends, startups could leverage insights from organizational theory such as David Teece’s framework for dynamic capabilities. According to Teece, dynamic capabilities involve three key activities: sensing (identifying opportunities), seizing (mobilizing resources to capture value), and transforming (continuously renewing the organization). These capabilities are unique to each company and difficult for competitors to replicate, going beyond standard best practices. They can help companies become more robust and responsive to the external factors Blank describes.)
