What are the major stages of scaling a high-growth-potential, non-VC funded venture from market entry to market leadership, and what are the success criteria for each stage? Author: Davender Gupta davender@davender.com (c)2018. All Rights Reserved

1. Be patient for growth and impatient for profits.
- Clayton Christensen
Scaling Bootstrapped Early-StageTechnology Startups
THE MOMENTUM SCALING
STRATEGY FRAMEWORK
Davender Gupta
Momentum Scaling gives you the ability to
generate, manage and direct growth
IdealVC-backed Startup
(Hockeystick)
Momentum Scaling
(Waves)
FailedVC-backed Startup
(Valley of Death)
Time
Success Metric
(Valuation,
Revenues or
Traffic)
Successful scaling requires
managing uncertainty
while
maximizing execution
What is scaling?
OECD:“20% growth year-on-year for
at least 3 consecutive years”
STARTUP
SCALEUP
BUSINESS
Exploring a viable business model
Developing credibility and capability
to become a market influencer
Executing and evolving the business model
to become a market leader
Tech scales. People don’t.
©2018 Davender Gupta.All rights reserved. davender@davender.com
What we need is a new strategic mindset for scaling High-Growth-Potential Ventures
The SAFE way to successful scaling
SUITABLE How your choices align with vision,
mission, values
How your choices fit success
and risk criteria
How your choices can be executed
with available resources
How your choices adapt to uncertainty
by optimizing for opportunity
What are the major stages of scaling a high-growth-potential, non-VC-
funded venture from market entry to market leadership, and what are the
success criteria for each stage?
ACCEPTABLE
FEASIBLE
EFFECTUAL
THE SCALING LIFECYCLE HAS THREEWAVES
Build Credibility Reference Projects and Reference Clients
Build Capability Capability must lead demand
Build Cashflow Optimize margins and seek efficiency
H1
H2
H3
EACH WAVE HAS FIVE PHASES
AND NINE OPERATIONAL DIMENSIONS
The Business Model
evolves with each phase
Perspectives and metrics to generate,
manage and direct growth
H1
H2
H3
Prep-
aration
Beachhead Surge Consolidation Maturity
MarketShare
Time
Find Reference
Clients
Gain
Market
Share
Efficiency
and
Margins
Establish
as Market
Influencer
ACTION
Manage Growth
GENERATE