Stuck on Plateau Island (Where it is and how to avoid it)

Plateau Island is where founders can get stuck.

This is how it happens. 

A Founder has a vision for a product or service. They take action to build and ship it. Those first few customers in the door feel fantastic. 

Highly-skilled and high-performing founders who can do a little bit of everything thrive in the first steps and first stages. 

(A much-preferred experience than a corporate environment that wants mono-skilled contributors and subject matter experts. It’s hard to fit in when you can do some of everything. Starting a business is excellent for those who feel like misfits in corporate settings.)     

But expanding that business requires the next leap of faith to overcome new operational challenges.

Plateau Islands happen because they haven’t asked for help. Delegate, recruiting, hiring, and building a community around their brand all require one unique thing: Letting go and trusting others. 

When stress & complexity increases, Founders find comfort (and confidence) in their strengths and core competencies. The stress of uncertainty and ambiguity tempts founders to retreat to areas of comfort. Often, this is a specific skill - spreadsheet analysis, slide deck creation, networking, etc.

But too often, the founder’s core competency isn’t a good fit for their business needs in that particular season.

Plateau Islands is a safe place, which is unfortunate because the feeling of safety and comfort isn’t always good for new businesses. The founder’s strengths, rather than business priorities, drive their work.   

On Plateau Island, processes aren’t scalable. Revenue stalls. User growth stops. Wellbeing declines. The risk is losing inspiration or succumbing to fears. 

What if I created a hobby - and not a startup? 

What if I’m “All Hat, No Cattle?” 

I feel like an imposture. Who am I to start this business? 

On Plateau Island, founders start to look for external things to blame. 

The market is tight right now.  

The pandemic changed everything.

I don’t have the resources to hire. 

Once I get ______, then I will _______. 

Trying harder or doing more doesn’t increase the number of minutes in the day. 

And the only way off the island is to ask for help. This “ask” comes in many forms:

Delegating, recruiting, hiring, and building a community around their brand. 

The longer a founder waits, the harder it is to get off the island.  

The only way off plateau island is to ask for help. There won’t be anyone there to vote you off this island. To learn how to trust. To bring people along for the ride.

To share the journey.