I remember the moment I realized everything I knew about business growth was wrong.
I was sitting across from Sarah, a client whose software company was hemorrhaging money despite following every “best practice” in the scaling playbook. More features? Check. Aggressive marketing? You bet. Customer-first mentality? Always.
Yet there she was, burning through cash with nothing to show for it.
That’s when it hit me: what if the conventional wisdom about scaling was completely backward?
After two decades helping businesses grow (and watching many fail), I’ve discovered something surprising: the companies that double in size often break all the “rules” we hold dear. Let me share what actually works – and fair warning, it might make you uncomfortable.
The Counterintuitive Art of Cutting to Grow
Last year, I watched a SaaS founder nearly have a panic attack when I suggested cutting 40% of his product features. “Are you crazy?” he asked. “Our customers will revolt!”
Six months later, his revenue had doubled.
Why? Because less really is more. By eliminating the “nice-to-have” features that were cluttering his product, his team could finally focus on what customers actually used. Support tickets dropped by half. Sales cycles shortened dramatically. Even better? Customer satisfaction soared.
Think of it like decluttering your house. Sure, that garage sale feels scary, but doesn’t everything work better when you get rid of the junk?
The Weird Power of Saying “No”
“We’re fully booked until next quarter.”
These words used to terrify me. Now? They’re music to my ears.
Take Maria, a consultant who was working 80-hour weeks trying to serve everyone. When she finally agreed to cut her client roster in half, something magical happened. Her revenue doubled – not despite taking fewer clients, but because of it.
By creating scarcity, she transformed her service from a commodity into a luxury. Suddenly, clients who balked at her old rates were happily paying triple.
The lesson? Sometimes the best way to grow is to make yourself harder to reach.
When Ignoring Your Customers Is Smart
“The customer is always right” might be the most expensive lie in business.
Henry Ford supposedly said, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” Whether he actually said it doesn’t matter – the principle is gold.
I recently worked with a gym owner who did something radical: he removed all the cardio machines his customers were demanding. Instead, he doubled down on high-intensity training programs.
Members complained… right up until they started seeing better results than ever before. Within a year, his waiting list was 200 people deep.
Your Action Plan (Because Theory Without Action Is Just Mental Exercise)
Ready to try this backward approach to growth? Here’s your 30-day challenge:
Week 1: The Great Purge
– List everything you offer
– Circle the bottom 20% of performers
– Draft a elimination timeline
– Start telling customers about “exciting changes”
Week 2: Build Your Walls
– Identify one service/product to limit
– Create a strategic waitlist system
– Raise prices on your most popular offering
– Document the pushback (you’ll laugh about it later)
Week 3-4: Challenge Everything
– Pick one common customer request
– Do exactly the opposite
– Measure the results
– Repeat with something bigger
Warning: This Will Feel Wrong
Let’s be honest – this approach feels dangerous. Your instincts will scream “no!” Your team might think you’ve lost it. Some customers will definitely complain.
Do it anyway.
Because here’s what nobody tells you about doubling your business: it never happens by playing it safe. It happens when you’re willing to break the rules everyone else follows blindly.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. What could you cut from your business tomorrow? What “customer demands” might actually be holding you back?
