Hey {{first_name|there}},
Everyone dreams of growth.
Every founder wants the hockey-stick curve, the “up and to the right” chart, the bragging rights of 30% year-over-year expansion.
And for the past few years, we’ve done exactly that; growing around 30% a year, consistently, sustainably, and more importantly, profitably.
But here’s the part most people don’t talk about:
Growth is dangerous.
It puts pressure on every part of your business: your people, your systems, your cash flow, your decision-making.
If you don’t build the right foundation early, growth can crush you.
In this episode, I want to go beyond the usual “growth challenges” everyone lists.
We’ll talk about how to scale without losing control.
How to build systems that can absorb pressure,
how to develop people who grow as fast as the company,
and how to stay agile when every decision feels high stakes.
Because growth should be a reward for your hard work, not a punishment for your success.
Let’s dive in!
🛠 THE CFO EFFECT PLAYBOOK
Step One: Growth forces you to keep pushing the frontier
To keep growing, you can’t rely on what got you here.
You have to try things you’ve never done before: new markets, new products, new channels, new partnerships.
And that’s uncomfortable.
Every new growth lever you pull introduces:
new risks,
new unknowns, and
new problems you’ve never solved before.
That’s the first hidden truth of growth:
The more you grow, the more you outgrow what used to work.
You can’t recycle last year’s playbook.
You need to rewrite it…every year.
Step Two: Growth comes with headwinds
In the past few years, we’ve faced:
The container price crisis.
The iOS privacy update that broke digital marketing.
Tariff changes.
Labor shortages.
Rising interest rates.
Real estate market slowdown
Each forced us to adapt…fast.
Every crisis required a transformation, a redesign, a new level of discipline.
That’s the reality: growth is an endless series of recalibrations.
Step Three: The hidden cost: Cash and Working Capital
Everyone celebrates top-line growth.
But few talk about the financial pressure it creates.
I remember when I was a banker, they told us: Stay away from fast growing companies.
I found that strange, because to me growing fast meant you were doing well, right?!
But here’s what I learned over my two decades of banking:
Growing 30% a year means buying more inventory, hiring more people, carrying more receivables, and investing ahead of revenue.
That strains liquidity; stretches your working capital, and sometimes forces you to borrow just to keep up.
And when interest rates rise, that debt eats the margin you worked so hard to build.
The real skill of a growth-stage CFO is making sure the company can survive its own success.
Step Four: The real bottlenecks: people, processes, and systems
Growth exposes every weakness in your company.
People: Some roles become too small for the company you’ve become.
Processes: What worked manually at $50 M breaks at $100 M.
Systems: Tools that handled 10 orders an hour crumble under 100.
The pipeline gets tighter, the pressure builds, and unless you strengthen it; something will burst.
That’s why growth demands foresight.
At Transformer Table, we learned to stay proactive.
We don’t just ask “How can we grow?”
We ask “What would break if we do?”
Then we budget for those bottlenecks before they appear.
Step Five: How we navigated the pressure
We always knew we wanted to grow exponentially; so, we designed for it.
Here’s how we made growth sustainable.
a. Build systems that can absorb growth
If your systems can’t absorb pressure, you’re only as strong as your weakest link.
We designed ours for scalability.
We pressure-tested every process:
“What happens if we multiply our orders by 10?”
“Can we handle 1 000 orders a day? What about 10 000?”
A system isn’t just software.
It’s the combination of tools, workflows, suppliers, logistics, and controls that keep your product moving.
We work with 3PLs to fulfill our orders.
To create a seamless experience, we’ve integrated our 3PLs to our ERP system.
3PLs are great because they add variability to your business.
You can scale fast by adding new ones or shrink if demand reduces.
Always ask: Can this system handle the next version of us?
If not, fix it before growth finds the weak spot.
b. Upgrade people as fast as you grow
In a fast-growing company, people rarely grow at the same speed as the business.
You have to hire for the next growth cycle, not the current one.
Bring in people with growth mindsets: adaptable, curious, and comfortable with change.
Invest in training and mentorship so your existing team can rise with the company.
If your people can’t scale, your systems won’t matter.
c. Build agility into decision-making
The third lever is agility. It’s about your ability to make decisions quickly and confidently.
I love Jeff Bezos’s concept of the two doors:
One-way doors are irreversible decisions. Choose carefully.
Two-way doors are reversible. Walk through, test, and if it doesn’t work, step back.
Most decisions (85% - 90%) are two-way doors.
Don’t over-analyze them.
Move fast, learn fast, and adjust.
Agility turns uncertainty into iteration, and iteration drives success.
d. Master Your Working Capital
The most overlooked part of scaling fast isn’t sales, or even margin; it’s cash.
Growth is greedy.
Every extra dollar of revenue demands fuel in the form of inventory, logistics, and operations.
Your business model can make or break your growth.
One of the biggest reasons we’ve been able to grow fast (and do it bootstrapped) is because of the length of our cash conversion cycle (CCC).
We operate with a negative CCC, which means we collect cash from customers before we pay our suppliers.
That dynamic alone has allowed us to finance our own growth.
We didn’t need to raise capital or take on heavy debt, because our customers essentially fund our expansion (for cheap).
E-commerce and retail models can unlock this advantage when designed intentionally.
You collect cash up front, deliver later, and manage your supplier terms wisely.
That’s a form of leverage, and it’s free (more or less).
If you don’t have that luxury (if your model depends on receivables and high inventory levels) you still have levers to pull:
Accelerate inventory turns. The faster your product moves, the less cash gets trapped in stock.
Negotiate smarter receivable terms. Work with clients who value reliability and are willing to prepay or shorten DSO.
Strengthen supplier relationships. Partner with vendors who can extend terms and grow with you.
If none of that is possible, then secure long-term capital to support working capital as a structured cash flow loan, or as an equity injection that matches your growth horizon.
But whatever you do, design your working capital with purpose.
Think about the cost of capital and the return you’ll get.
Because if you ignore it, growth will outpace your liquidity.
And no amount of top-line success can save you from a cash crunch.
Step Six: The CFO’s role in controlled growth
The CFO’s job is to make sure growth doesn’t destroy the business.
That means being the voice that asks:
Can our balance sheet handle this pace?
Are our systems scalable enough?
Are we funding growth efficiently?
You’re the stabilizer.
The one who keeps ambition and execution aligned.
The Practical Takeaway
Growth amplifies every weakness. Design for scale early.
Pressure-test your systems: tech, supply chain, processes.
Hire ahead of the curve; invest in people who thrive on change.
Build agility: most decisions can be reversed, so move forward.
The CFO’s mission is controlled acceleration.
💬 Final Reflection
Everyone wants growth.
Few prepare for its weight.
So, as you plan the next stage, ask yourself:
“Can my systems, my people, and my decision-making handle 10× more pressure?”
If the answer is yes. You’re ready.
If the answer is no. Start building now.
Because growth is only beautiful when it’s sustainable.
Otherwise, it breaks the very thing you’re trying to build.
P.S.: If you can leave a quick review below, it would mean the world to me, plus that will help us improve. ⬇️
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👉 Share this on LinkedIn with a note like:
“ Stop reporting the past, and start architecting the future.”
Disclaimer:
This content is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified advisor before making any business or financial decisions. The author and publisher disclaim any liability for actions taken based on this content.
Talk soon,
