When growth becomes the enemy

We celebrate growth like it’s oxygen.
The startup that raised $50M? Genius.
The agency that just merged into a holding company? Crushing it.
The founder who added 20 new hires this quarter? Rocket ship.

But what if that growth — the thing you’ve been taught to chase — is actually what kills you?

I was talking recently with Matt Krayton, founding principal at Publitics, a communications and political strategy firm. His business helps leaders and organizations shape narratives when the stakes are high — think elections, crisis management, public perception. But what really stood out wasn’t his client list. It was his decision to stay small.

“We could’ve scaled,” Matt told me. “We had the opportunity. But being small lets us stay nimble. It lets us move fast and solve problems without waiting for permission.”

That line hit hard.
Because every founder hits that moment where staying lean starts to feel like failure — like you’re somehow “behind” the people raising money and stacking headcount. The narrative around growth has become so intoxicating that we’ve stopped questioning it.

But maybe it’s worth questioning.

You don’t have to scale to matter.
You have to stay sharp enough to move when others can’t.

Growth isn’t the goal.
Clarity is.

If you can protect that — your message, your mission, your speed, your team — you’re already ahead.

Let’s get to it.