Editorial staff
Growth Isn’t the Goal If You Can’t Survive It
According to a report by CB Insights, 70% of startups fail by year 10, and 14% fail because of team issues or conflict. Those team issues usually trace back to structure—or the lack of it.
Startups need growth. But more than that, they need systems that hold up when things get busy, messy, or real. Here’s how to build a startup that lasts.
Start with Structure, Not Just Speed
Define Roles and Ownership Early
When your team is small, it’s easy to skip formal titles. Everyone does everything. That works for a minute, until it doesn’t. When a deal falls apart, or someone wants out, that’s when the problems show up.
Every founder should have a written agreement. It should cover equity, roles, decision-making, and what happens if someone leaves. Don’t rely on memory or verbal promises. Those don’t hold up in court—or in real life.
Roland Sanchez-Medina, a lawyer who works with startups and corporate clients, once advised a company that lost an investor because it had no formal agreement between co-founders. The investor walked away. The deal was dead. All because they thought a handshake was enough.
Build a Simple Operating System
Your startup needs rules for how things get done. These don’t have to be fancy. But they do need to be clear.
Start with:
- A shared doc outlining team responsibilities
- A checklist for key decisions
- A process for tracking cash, tasks, and investor updates
- A cadence for weekly or monthly team check-ins
Think of it like a playbook. If someone joins tomorrow, they should know how things run without needing a 4-hour download.
Don’t Wait to Form a Board
Use a Board to Keep You Honest
Boards aren’t just for big companies. A small advisory board can keep you grounded, focused, and honest. Pick people who will ask hard questions—not just cheer you on.
Start with 2–3 people. A lawyer. An experienced founder. Someone with finance or operations experience. Meet once a month. Keep it tight. Use the time to flag red flags, not just brag about wins.
This helps prevent blind spots, and it makes you practice accountability—before an investor forces you to.
Keep Records of Major Decisions
Every startup has key moments—big hires, new markets, new pricing, partnerships. Track those. Write them down. Keep a shared doc with dates, reasoning, and who voted on it.
This protects you in legal disputes. It also shows investors you’re serious. More than that, it shows your team that leadership is not a mystery.
Plan for Conflict Before It Happens
Create Clear Off-Ramps
Not everyone stays forever. Founders leave. Early hires change paths. That’s normal. But if there’s no plan for exits, it turns ugly.
Use a vesting schedule for equity. Set expectations for notice periods. Outline how decisions are made if someone exits. All of this should be in your founder and operating agreements.
It’s not personal—it’s professional. Good planning avoids bad blood.
Use Third Parties for Mediation
If you hit a disagreement that you can’t solve internally, talk to a neutral advisor early. Don’t wait until everyone’s yelling or lawyering up.
A mediator or advisor can help find common ground and protect the business while you work things out.
Money Should Not Be a Mystery
Build Real-Time Financial Visibility
You don’t need a CFO in the early days. But you do need a clear picture of cash.
Use tools like QuickBooks, Xero, or even a clean Google Sheet. Make sure at least two people can see it. Update it weekly. Don’t wait for tax season or a funding round to find out where the money went.
Knowing your runway helps you stay calm. It also helps you spot trends before they become problems.
Review Budgets With the Team
Once a month, walk your team through how money was spent and what the next month looks like. This isn’t about control—it’s about clarity.
When people know the numbers, they make better choices. It also builds trust across your team.
Prioritise People and Process Together
Culture Isn’t Just Perks
Ping-pong tables don’t build culture. Clarity does. So does listening, showing up, and following through.
Set expectations. Follow your own rules. Treat people like grown-ups. That’s culture.
If someone doesn’t fit, let them go with kindness and clarity. A toxic team kills momentum faster than a failed feature.
Use Process to Support Freedom
Structure and flexibility aren’t opposites. A good process creates space to be creative. When your team knows what’s expected, they can focus on the work—not guessing what to do.
Use tools that your team actually likes. Keep your workflows simple. Adapt as you grow, but always protect the core.
Grow With Intention, Not Panic
Don’t Chase Every Shiny Metric
Startups often try to show traction too fast. They open too many channels, expand too soon, or over-hire.
Stick to a few key metrics that actually reflect progress—like retention, repeat usage, or referrals. Revenue matters. So does the cost of getting it.
Test, learn, and scale what works. Kill what doesn’t. Don’t keep burning time and money on things that look good on a slide but don’t move the business.
Keep Your Focus Narrow Early
Solve one big problem well before you try to solve five. Your startup should be able to explain its mission in one sentence. If it takes a paragraph, it’s too broad.
Focus brings results. And it makes your team, customers, and investors more confident in what you’re building.
Final Word
Startups fail. That’s normal. But they don’t have to fail because of things you can control. Most chaos comes from skipping the basics.
Structure, systems, and clear decisions are not a luxury—they’re survival tools. Roland Sanchez-Medina has seen the cost of skipping these steps too many times.
Don’t wait for a crisis to get serious about your foundation. Build it now. So when growth comes, it doesn’t break you—it lifts you.
Editorial staff
