The fable of the startup that lost it all…

When Your Startup Turns Into a Corporate Clog: Don’t Let Efficiency Kill Your Magic!

There once was a startup. The founders, plagued by a problem they encountered in their own lives, went out into the world to seek a solution. They spoke to countless others who shared their plight, listening intently to their woes and wishes.

With determination in their hearts and fire in their eyes, they returned to their humble garage and began to craft a magical device. Day and night they toiled, fueled by the stories of those they’d met. Their creation grew more wondrous with each passing moon, for it was born from the very essence of the people’s needs.

Word of their marvelous invention spread far and wide. Soon, a steady stream of grateful customers beat a path to their door. The startup flourished, and their little garage became a bustling workshop filled with clever artisans and inventors.

But as their success grew, so did the complexity of their operation. The founders, once focused solely on their customers’ joy, found themselves tangled in a web of ledgers, schedules, and protocols. They hired wise sages to manage their expanding kingdom, each bringing new systems and processes.

Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the workshop’s gaze turned inward. The once-lively debates about customer needs were replaced by discussions of efficiency metrics and organizational charts. The magical device, once the heart of their endeavor, became but one cog in a great machine of bureaucracy.

One day, a customer visited the workshop, clutching the magical device. “It no longer works as it once did,” the customer said softly. “It doesn’t understand me anymore.”

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I have seen this fable play out too many times to count. Don’t be that startup. Never lose focus on what matters most: the problem, the customer, and your solution.