Q: What usually signals that a growing business needs to re-examine its systems?

It’s rarely a single failure. More often, it’s a feeling that things take more effort than they should. Onboarding slows down, visibility into performance is limited, and teams start compensating with workarounds instead of relying on the system itself.

Those are early indicators that the business may have outgrown part of its foundation.

Q: Why isn’t automation always the right first move?

Automation can be incredibly helpful when it’s built on top of a system that still fits. When the underlying platform no longer aligns with how the business operates, automation tends to hide friction rather than remove it.

In those cases, teams end up managing the tool instead of the tool supporting the team.

Q: How do you determine whether the system itself is the problem?

The fastest way is to stop adding tools and closely observe how work actually flows. Walking through the full process with the people doing the work often reveals patterns that dashboards don’t show.

When the same system becomes a recurring constraint across multiple steps, it’s a strong signal that the platform has been outgrown.

Q: What’s the biggest takeaway for teams navigating growth right now?

Systems that once worked well won’t always scale cleanly, and that’s a normal part of growth. The most effective teams are willing to step back, ask harder questions, and make changes before friction turns into failure.

Automation has its place, but long-term growth depends on choosing systems that support how the business actually operates.