Knowledge workers are exhausted – burned out from an increasingly relentless busyness.
                     Cal Newport, Slow Productivity

How can a company become the most profitable company per employee – without a boss?
                     Ludovic Bodin, Atomic Scaling

Former Dell Executive Now Scaling Up Coach (Scaling Up Case Study)
This ScaleUps.com article details how Pune, India-based Scaling Up coach Ajay Hiraskar transitioned from being a Dell executive to Scaling Up coach. Growing up in an entrepreneurial family, he watched his father struggle and now helps entrepreneurs scale more easily using our tools. Ajay also continues his pro-bono work as a way to give back to the community. If you’re an experienced leader and interested in making the transition to coaching, please reach out to me verne@scalingup.com.

Andreessen Horowitz – Growth Key to Driving Valuation
This a16z article makes a case for why it’s critical to grow 20% per year vs. just 12% -- and the three keys for doing it: continually innovate and evolve products; have a strong defensible business model (moat around the biz); and use a tough market to break away from the pack. It’s still the rule that your multiple, when it comes to valuation, mirrors your growth rate i.e. 20% growth rate can generate a 20x multiple. It’s time to up your growth rate. Please take 1-minute to read this insightful and precise article.

Slow Productivity by Cal Newport
My apologies for being late reporting on Cal Newport’s latest book (I read EVERYTHING he writes)! Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment without Burnout is another classic. In short, slow productivity is “A philosophy for organizing knowledge work efforts in a sustainable and meaningful manner, based on the following three principles:

• Do fewer things.
• Work at a natural pace.
• Obsess over quality.

Sounds easy, but the devil is in the details. Skim Part 1 and go right to Part 2 and dive into the specifics of each principle. You have two breakthrough and simple books to read this weekend!

Atomic Scaling by Ludovic Bodin
And if you want to spur growth -- what can the gaming industry teach us about scaling easier and more rapidly? My friend and serial entrepreneur, Ludovic Bodin, released his spectacular book this week Atomic Scaling: How Small Teams Create Huge Growth. Over the last two decades, video game companies have outperformed nearly every industry. For instance, how can a company from a small country generate $12 billion in six years with a team of 300! Ludovic’s book answers this question – with lessons for all of us including the importance of small teams (what two pizzas can feed). And since I encourage gamifying your business, please absorb the lessons in his book (and it’s a fun and quick read!).

Slowing Down – Beckley Retreats – Psilocybin
Slowing down is what I did this week as one of a dozen participants (including three EO members) in Jamaica for a five-day Beckley Retreat. A leader in and advocate of psilocybin journeys, they structure a self-paced four-week preparation phase (an hour a week); the five-day experience that includes two psilocybin (magic mushroom) journey celebrations; and a six-week integration phase (an hour a week). Jamaica and The Netherlands, where they host their other retreats, are two countries where the dosage they give is legal – no sneaking around. And they run a first-class and professional operation. The ceremonies were both beautiful experiences and delivered on what you’ve read psilocybin promises with the right intentions. For more information go to this link. I’m happy I did it!

Father & Son Weekend in Nature, April 27 – 28, West Virginia
Teenage guys are busy – incredibly busy sometimes – and so are their dads. Here’s an invitation for fathers and sons to carve out time to have fun together in nature, and to engage each other as authentic individuals through challenging activities.  It could also be Grandpa or an adult male mentor who accompanies the younger guy. Check it out here. Questions? Contact Dan Harris at Daniel.Harris@Illuman.org

Finland Happiest Country 7 Years Running
Fortune’s Happiest Country list is out and Finland takes the honors for the 7^th year. The US and Germany dropped out of the top 20 (loneliness the issue in the US). And this year the list is parsed by age with Lithuania, Israel, and Serbia tops for those under 30; and Denmark, Finland, and Norway tops for those over 60.

Now With Rolling Admissions -- Scaling Up Master Business Course
Kickstarting on March 26, 2024, the Scaling Up Master Business Course with Growth Institute now has a monthly rolling admissions so you can start to scale up and then bring your team along with you at any time! This course dives into the "Four Decisions" framework (People, Strategy, Execution, Cash) and delves deep into proven methods to double your cash flow, triple your profitability, and align your entire organization towards your #1 thing. As Entrepreneur Margaret Heffernan said, this program "offers specific habits, processes, and outlines to make sure growth is the beginning, not the end of success. "Limited seats are available. Details and registration here: https://hubs.li/Q02nxYK90

Order a box of 20 Scaling Up and Mastering the Rockefeller Habits books
Want to save 50% over the price on Amazon? Get the box of 20 Scaling Up, MRH, and 12 Habits of Valuable Employees books here for less!

SCALING UP WORKSHOPS:
Engage your team with interactive workshops to optimize your company’s performance.
(list of workshops below)

Boca Raton, FL – Mar 26, 2024 (In-Person)
India - Mar 27, 2024 (Virtual)
Austin, TX – Mar 28, 2024 (In-Person)
Guatemala, Mexico, Chile – Apr 9, 2024 (Virtual)
Boston, MA – Apr 11, 2024 (Virtual)
Ontario, Canada - Apr 11, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Apr 18, 2024 (Virtual)
Brisbane, Australia – May 1, 2024 (In-Person)
Dallas, TX – May 8, 2024 (In-Person)
Portland, OR – May 8, 2024 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – May 9, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - May 16, 2024 (Virtual)
Columbus, Ohio – May 17, 2024 (In-Person)
Hong Kong / Singapore – May 22, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – May 29, 2024 (Virtual)
Bengaluru / Hyderabad / Dhaka – May 29, 2024 (Virtual)
Christchurch, NZ – May 30, 2024 (In-Person)
Adelaide, Australia – Jun 12, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Jun 13, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Jun 19, 2024 (Virtual)
San Diego, CA – Jun 25, 2024 (In-Person)
Washington, D.C. – June 27, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Jul 11, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Jul 31, 2024 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – August 7, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Aug 15, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Aug 28, 2024 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Aug 29, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Sep 12, 2024 (Virtual)
Denver, CO – Sep 17, 2028 (In-Person)
Columbus, Ohio – Sep 20, 2024 (In-Person)
San Francisco, CA – Sep 24, 2024 (Virtual)
Brisbane, Australia – Oct 2, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Oct 10, 2024 (Virtual)
Fort Lauderdale, FL – Oct 15, 2024 (In-Person)
San Francisco, CA – Oct 16, 2024 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Nov 14, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Nov 14, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Nov 19, 2024 (Virtual)
San Antonio, TX – Dec 10, 2024 (In-Person)
Ontario, Canada - Dec 12, 2024 (Virtual)
San Francisco, CA – Dec 18, 2024 (Virtual)

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up Scoreboard Integrated with Salesforce, Slack, and Zapier (allowing it to connect with 1000s of systems), use Scoreboard to provide your team (working remotely even more important!) a real-time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.

Better Book Club –
What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com.

Planning to Exit – Critical Whitepaper
Selling your firm, for its maximum value, is the most important negotiation in which a business owner will participate. You are typically negotiating with sophisticated buyers who have done hundreds of acquisitions whereas this is often your first rodeo. And these buyers have a formula for ripping you off – and it works, stealing tens of millions from you. Seeking help, owners discover the big M&A firms, especially those specializing in your industry, are more beholden to the buyers than the sellers (they will tell you otherwise). Email me to get a whitepaper on how to maximize your valuation and avoid the psychological games buyers play verne@scalingup.com.

Have you considered becoming a Certified Scaling Up Coach?
Learn more about what it takes to certify and what being a coach is like. Pop into our Coach Office Hours to talk with our coach certification coordinator and a certified Scaling Up Coach. Learn More & Register for Office Hours here >

EDUCATION: 
Growth Institute Online Executive Education:
Master of Business Dynamics
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Exponential Organizations Master Business Course
Topgrading Master Business Course

COACHING:
Does it feel as if your business has hit a wall? If you don't see a clear path forward, it's a good time to bring in a coach.  All of our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance. Our promise is a custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, including how we match you with a coach. We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™ Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. Or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to coaching@scalingup.com

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