Stop Hiring For Comfort, Hire For Challenge | Ep 292
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I just think that the root of a lot of this is the fact that people want status more than they want the responsibility. They want the status of working at the company. They want the status of owning the company. They want all those things, but they don't actually want the shit that comes with it.

What's up guys, welcome back to Build, and today I'm just going to go on a little bit of a rant. So I'm making this podcast because I feel like there's something that is not talked about much at all in business, and I actually think that a lot of people when they talk about it feel bad or feel like it's the wrong thing to talk about. They feel like I shouldn't talk about this because it's not sexy, because it sounds harsh, because whatever it may be, right? And that is the dark side of a fast-growing company.

And this is something that I'm going to call it the dark side. I actually think it's you cannot have the good without the bad. And so I just see it as like the downside of a fast growth company. But I think that it's just become so relevant to me because we have been growing really fast at acquisition.com. And that's kind of my, I would say, expertise is like I'm really good at growing a company quickly. And I know what it takes. I understand how to do it. And I've been able to do so successfully.

But that's not everybody, and I think that a lot of people glamorize something that is actually very fucking difficult.

And I'm running into it time and time again with people who, you know, maybe haven't worked at a fast growth company. They see what we're doing. They want to work for us. They want to be here, but they don't actually, they don't actually, they just want the title. They want the accolades. They don't actually want the work that comes with it because the reality is that fast growth doesn't feel fucking good. Fast growth feels bad. It feels like chaos. And for employees and people who are joining the company, it feels like you're constantly under-resourced. Like

There are always too few people and there are too many problems. People don't know how to prioritize. There are systems being built while they're being used. You're not using systems at the same time and you're using new systems. Leaders are learning on the job and oftentimes like they don't have the time to also develop and grow everybody as this pretty picture that people want. And nobody fucking holds your hand. Nobody's going to hold your hand. Nobody's going to come save you. People are expected to be autonomous and save themselves. And so if you're the type of person who wants somebody to tell them what to do, you're

you are already irrelevant in these situations. And that is like the hardest pill for people to swallow. And as somebody who genuinely loves growing people, leading people, like investing in people,

I also see my job as being somebody to inform people of what the dark side or the downsides are. And I just think a lot of leaders out there do a really bad job of explaining this, right? Because in a fast growth company, you're not just doing your job. You're probably doing like a kind of a compilation of like three because you're not big enough to have specialists yet. So you have a bunch of generalists, right? And then those three jobs change every six fucking months.

And that's why most people break or bounce the fuck out of the company because they're like, oh my gosh, this is so crazy. It's so chaotic. It's like, no, no, no. You don't understand the difference between a company that is 10 years old and a company that is two or three or four years old. You also don't understand the difference between a fast growth company and a normal, moderately growing company. And the thing is, is that for founders, it's even harder because you have to not just navigate the growth. You're also responsible for the growth and the pressure does not lay off.

Right? Because you're constantly making decisions with imperfect information. So if somebody comes in from a big company or you're the CEO of a big company, you're going to fucking break. Because like, I wish I had all the information all the time to make decisions in my company, but that's just not how things work.

Right. And so it's like you're constantly either, you know, ahead or behind. You're constantly building systems. And in six months, you're like, fuck, this system doesn't work anymore. Right. And then you're managing a team that's usually like one step behind because the business is growing faster than them. And so it feels like every mistake is more expensive the faster that you're growing. And that is probably true. Right. And so it's like, what does it actually take?

to make it in a fast growth company? Well, I'll say one thing first, okay? What's the upside, right? Why does everyone want their company to grow fast to like Inc. 5000, fast growth, all these things? Obvious, which is it attracts talent and it attracts attention, right? And then those people can help create more opportunity for the business. And so

You know, when a company is growing fast, obviously there's a lot of momentum. There's a lot of talk. There's like reputation and you can feel it. You feel it in the culture. You feel in the meetings and like you see it in the revenue and it's exciting and kind of addictive. And so for people who like growing fast, they're hungry, they're excited, they want to work hard. It's good. Right. And it's the fastest way that you can level up your career because you get access to problems and promotions. You're ahead of your peers in traditional companies.

Right. And so that's what excites people. They're like, wow, I'm going to get opportunity that nobody else is going to get. And you're going to get stretched. You're going to be able to be seen. There's not a ton of bureaucracy. And if the company grows, it kind of promotes you within it. And then you grow as well. And then obviously for us founders and CEOs, it means that we have a ton of traction. The market's responding. It validates that we're fucking smart or we just got lucky. Right.

Because that is half the battle is just finding the luck. But here's the thing. It's like when that happens fast, it's nice because you have a lot of cash flow. You get a lot of leverage and you have a lot of options. And so like I want to explain why this is so sexy and appealing to people. Like it's not like, oh my God, this is a terrible thing. I think what I'm so ranting about right now at like 6 a.m. in my bathroom while I'm getting ready for the day is just like I'm so sick of people saying that they want it and then complaining when they get it.

People say they want it. And then I warn them. I'm like, this is what it looks like. You've never done this before. Here's what it's going to feel like. And then when it comes, they're like complaining. They're like, get rid of this. Why is this happening? I don't, this is unacceptable. This never happened in my last company. Okay, well, your last company didn't even make any fucking money. Your last company grew like a fucking snail. Like, why is this even relevant? This is not the same scenario. This is a completely different situation. This is actually what it looks like when a company grows fast.

And so as I'm like sitting here this morning in my frustration thinking about this, what I'm really thinking about is like, it's not for everyone. And it's something that I tell our company and I tell my team a lot lately is I continue to say, we're not for everyone and we don't need thousands of people to build this company. We only need a couple hundred. And so I tell people, I'm like, we only need a couple hundred.

I need a couple hundred killers. I need a couple hundred psychos. Like that's what they hear me say a lot recently because I'm like, listen, this is not for everybody. Stop hiring people who can go have a great time at another company.

Stop letting people in who clearly don't have what it takes because a fast growth company is not for everybody. It's for people who crave challenge more than comfort and people who like that, people who aren't upset by it, people who aren't going to freak out because something's uncomfortable for a week, people who can operate in ambiguity, right? And so if you're listening to this and you're somebody who's like, you really value structure, you like predictability, you like having balance, then you're not going to fucking make it in a company that grows fast.

You know, it sounds cool. I'm sure you want it on your resume, but you're not going to make it. And if you don't opt out, the company will opt you out for you. I really think that fast growth companies are just for people who want to become unrecognizable in the best way possible. If you want a career that would take 10 years somewhere else compressed into 18 months, then this is the great way to do that. But it's going to be fucking painful and you are going to feel bad at many parts in time. And I am not here to make people feel good. I am here to be good.

And I don't really care so much about the illusion of being good that many bosses do. I care about actually being good, which is informing people what this is like. You know, and if you're a founder listening to this, the challenge is that you have to stay ahead of the business, right? Not get say like you can't let success get to your head. Be like, oh, I'm growing so fast. It's amazing, blah, blah. It's like momentum is not maturity.

And so you have to build infrastructure before you need it. You have to constantly be thinking what's going to break next. You constantly have to be hiring people that you're like, no matter what happens, I'm going to need this person in 12 or 18 months. And you have to be willing to be like, fuck what worked yesterday because it's constantly changing throughout this process when you're growing fast. I think I'm fired up because in the last 24 hours, I spoke to multiple founders who were

clearly don't have what it takes. And I spoke to multiple people who wanted to work at my company who clearly don't have what it takes. And I just think that the root of a lot of this is the fact that people want status more than they want the responsibility.

They want the status of working at the company. They want the status of owning the company. They want all those things, but they don't actually want the shit that comes with it, which is fucking painful, right? Like the shit that comes with growing a company really fast, the shit that comes with having a company that is doubling year over year or quarter over quarter or whatever it might be, it's painful. It's a lot and it's a lot of responsibility. And so this is a warning for people, which is like,

You know, we often wish for a skill, but we don't wish for the situation that will create the skill. We want the outcome, but we don't want the process. And what I told somebody yesterday is the same thing, which is I told this guy who was asking me about this. He said, like, you know, I don't know what I want. I don't know what the best option is. I don't know if I should go all in on this company and like doing this stuff. And I said, listen, commit to the process, not the outcome. If you wouldn't do it,

for the process alone and what you learn and who you become, then don't do it for this arbitrary outcome that nobody gives a fuck about. And he was like, wow, that makes a lot of sense. I was like, would you commit to this? Would you grow this company? Would you run this type of company if nothing ever succeeded? He was like, well, what would I get? And I was like, well, you would get the skills. You would become the person. You would get the traits that that person has. And he was like, I mean, feels like there's other things I could do. And I was like, great, then don't fucking do this.

Don't do this because it is not easy and it's going to stretch you in a way that you're probably not prepared for. And like, that's okay if it's not for you. I think that's the second piece to it. It's like, everyone wants the status. Everyone wants the accolades. Everyone wants to have their name on a magazine. But let me tell you guys, as somebody who...

and does experience those things constantly, they are empty. They are fucking empty. It's not like getting your name on a magazine or, you know, getting somebody who's really famous to reach out and talk to you on, have you on their podcast or like, none of that leads to a happy life. And I,

I just think like a lot of people chase the success and they chase working somewhere that's growing fast or having a company that grows fast because they want the outcome. But I think that they conflate what the outcome will bring them. Why do we want to be in amazing shape? Why do we want to have a lot of money? Why do we want to have a lot of status, a lot of success?

Probably because of how we think it's going to make us feel. But the irony of that is that the whole process to get that outcome usually doesn't make you feel good. And so if it doesn't make you feel good and then you get the outcome, it's not often the easiest way to feel good. Feeling good and being successful are different things and different skills.

And I think a lot of people would be better off if they just understood that and admitted that they just want to be happy and they just want to feel better about themselves. But that doesn't come from the outcome of building a company or working in a company. It comes from the process. And so if you're not fully committed to that process and how hard it's going to be, then this is going to be very difficult for you, my friend. Like very difficult. And

I don't even know where I'm going with this rant right now. But when I sit down with people to interview them, I'm like, I fucking just want what's best for you. My job is to make sure that you are fully informed of what that's going to look like. And what fucking pains me is that when someone comes in and then they're not willing to do the work, they complain about the company and the pace, the ambiguity. And I'm like, what are you talking about? I warned you. This is what you signed up for. Like, I talk about this all the time. But it's just like, you just can't say no. And you're like, how different could it be?

I mean, vastly fucking different. Vastly different. Like, so much so that when my company, Gym Launch, got to the point where it was like out of the rocket phase and stable, I was bored out of my fucking mind. I was like, oh, I'm not built to run companies like this. It's so different. It's so chill. I'm not. I have no chill. I don't.

I don't run companies that way. And so I say this because I want you to understand, like, I get it and I've seen both sides. And I just wish more people would talk about this and would be upfront about these differences. And for those of you that are founders listening to this podcast or CEOs listening to this podcast, like, it's our job to educate people on what this looks like. If you consistently are hiring people in your company that are

are slow, that like bureaucracy, that need to be given extreme direction every step of the way. And you're like, oh my God, this person's an idiot. Oh my God, why is this person here? Oh my God. Well, you hired them and you're the one that's supposed to educate them on the front end. And you're the one who decides and should at the end of the day, make the judgment call if they should be there. And so if you completely educate people on these things, you can give them more tools to understand if this is the right fit for them.

But if you lie because you're desperate to get people on your team, nobody's ever going to succeed, including your business. I'm feeling a little better now. So here's be my final thoughts for you guys. If you're working at a fast growth company, expect chaos. Don't call it bad or wrong. That is part of the company. That's part of the job. That's why it's growing so fast. And that is the downside of the upside. And so you want to embrace the pressure. You want to use it to make you better, right? And if you're the founder, the CEO,

Build the plane while you're fucking flying it and make sure that you're not running out of fuel. You have to do whatever you have to do to make sure that you're ready for that journey. But understand what it takes, which is like, it is a gift and a curse. If you're wired for it, then there's like literally no better way to grow. No better way to grow your company. No better way to grow yourself as a founder or a CEO. No better way to grow your career. But if you're not wired for it,

it's going to be painful. So I'm just going to leave it there. I think it's an important message for people to hear. I think you need to understand what kind of company you're walking into. And if you don't know, you got to ask.