Repeatability

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6

The Triumph of

Simplicity

A leader is never more in touch with the front line of a busi-

ness than when the founding team (some combination of CEO,

head of product, and head of sales) makes its first sale. At that

point, the leaders are the front line, and the first sale to a cus-

tomer is everything. In fact, the customer probably even helped

to design the product and gives constant feedback on product

performance and next-generation requirements.

But success breeds growth, and this growth moves leaders farther

from the front line and from customers. Growth brings layers of

management and complex matrix organizations, each cell having

its