Why Founders Should Lead Growth (Before Hiring)

What most founders get wrong about early growth—and how to build a system that actually works

You’ve built something people want.
Early traction is there.
But suddenly, growth feels like a grind—and you’re stuck.

So what do most founders do next?

They try to hire someone to "own growth."

It makes sense on the surface. You’re stretched thin. You want an expert.
But in most cases, hiring for growth too early is a costly mistake.

Let me explain why founders should lead early growth—before they even think about hiring for it.

---

What I’ve learned working with early-stage teams

I was on the founding team at LogMeIn, where we built the system that helped take the company public and eventually led to a $4.3B acquisition.

Later, I partnered closely with founders at Dropbox, Eventbrite, and other early-stage startups to help them build repeatable growth. Over time, I’ve coached dozens of founders through the messy transition from product-market fit to sustainable momentum.

At first, I didn’t think much about who should lead early growth. But after seeing the same pattern play out again and again, it became obvious:

Founders need to lead growth in the early days.

Not forever. But in the beginning—before the system exists—it has to be you.

---

Growth isn’t a role. It’s a system.

Growth doesn’t stall because you didn’t hire the right person.
It stalls because you haven’t built the right proven system yet.

Why doesn’t hiring a Head of Growth fix the problem?
Because the real blockers aren’t tactical—they’re foundational.
Without a clear success metric, team alignment, or a way to learn what’s working, even the best hires are set up to fail.

Growth is a full team effort around a proven system.

---

You don’t need to be a growth expert.

You just need to lead it long enough—and clearly enough—that others can build on your foundation.

That means:

• Defining your success metric

• Mapping the inputs that drive it

• Aligning your team around high-leverage areas

• Running fast, insight-driven experiments to learn what works

None of this is about chasing hacks.
It’s about creating a system where learning compounds—and growth follows.

---

Want help getting started?

On May 8, I’m hosting a free 30-minute Lightning Lesson:

🎯 How Founders Should Lead Growth (Before Hiring)

I’ll share what I’ve learned from helping companies like Dropbox and LogMeIn build early growth systems—and what I wish more founders understood earlier.

You’ll walk away with:

• A simple framework to apply right away

• Clarity on what really needs to be in place before you hire

• Founder-tested next steps to avoid wasting time, money, or momentum

---

PS – Want to go deeper?

In June, I’m teaching a live cohort of Growth for Founders—a hands-on course that helps you build the systems, metrics, and team alignment needed to accelerate growth.

It’s for founders who want to take control of early growth—without guessing, spinning their wheels, or getting stuck trying random tactics.

But first, join the free Lightning Lesson.
30 minutes. Tactical. No fluff.

Update:
I’ve long believed that former founders often make great heads of growth—it’s a role that requires the same pressure tolerance and big-picture thinking. But Gaurav Vohra took that idea a step further in a thoughtful post back in January, highlighting why a founder is often the ideal person to lead growth at their own company. His post helped crystallize this emerging narrative—well worth a read: The Rise of the Growth Founder.