logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2024
27m 45s

How to Scale a Start-Up

Harvard Business Review
About this episode

Managing rapid growth is a huge challenge for young businesses. Even start-ups with glowing reviews and skyrocketing sales can fail . That’s because new ventures and corporate initiatives alike must sustain profitability at scale, according to Harvard Business School senior lecturer Jeffrey Rayport.


He has researched some of the biggest stumbling blocks to long-lasting success and he explains how to successfully transition out of the start-up phase. Rayport argues that success has a lot to do with an organization’s cash flow and its ability to meet growing demand. But it also involves something he calls “profit market fit,” which is when an enterprise becomes financially sustainable.

Key episode topics include: strategy, start-ups, entrepreneurial business strategy, customer strategy, growth, scaling, demand, cash flow, sustainable business.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

· Listen to the full HBR IdeaCast episode: Why Some Start-Ups Fail to Scale (2022)

· Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast

· Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

Up next
Jun 25
An Announcement from HBR On Strategy
For the last two years, HBR On Strategy has been a collection of the best conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. But the time has come for HBR On Strategy to hit pause on new episodes. We ... Show More
1m 5s
Jun 25
The Strategic Advantage of Tapping Freelancers
The rapid pace of technological change is making a big impact on hiring. Some organizations are dynamically securing freelance workers through platform apps like Upwork and Freelancer. Other companies are investing heavily in work enabled by artificial intelligence. John Winsor a ... Show More
30m 26s
Jun 18
The Promises, Pitfalls, and Trade-offs of the Circular Economy
Most businesses are built on a linear model: take, make, and discard. But that norm is reaching its limits, and leaders are under pressure to find smarter, more sustainable ways to operate. Weslynne Ashton is a systems scientist and professor at the Illinois Institute of Technolo ... Show More
20m 36s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2023
THE BIGGEST STARTUP OPPORTUNITIES IN 2024 BY LEAN STARTUP GUY ERIC RIES
Greg interviews Eric Ries, author of "The Lean Startup" and founder of The Long Term Stock Exchange.They talk about how to test business ideas, why businesses with a social mission will outperform, and opportunities in AI.►►Subscribe to Greg's weekly newsletter for insights on co ... Show More
46m 41s
Apr 8
Scaling Smart: Financial Strategies for High-Growth Startups
As the startup funding landscape evolves, is your financial strategy keeping pace? In this changing environment, a well-crafted financial strategy has become increasingly crucial for startups. Janelle Gorman, CFO of York IE, York IE, an advisory and investment firm that helps tec ... Show More
37m 26s
Jun 2023
S9 Ep24. Scaling a Startup in Asia
Welcome to FOMO Sapiens, the podcast about entrepreneurial thinkers who don't just follow the crowd, but instead take their own path to success in business and in life. In this episode, host Patrick J. McGinnis is joined by Ron Baetiong, a successful entrepreneur from the Philipp ... Show More
41m 4s
Jan 2025
551: The 5 Stages of Entrepreneurship
From Self-Employed or Solopreneur through Serial Entrepreneur—what does it look like and what does it take, to go from running a one-person operation to managing a portfolio of successful businesses and creating a lasting legacy. Show Notes Page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/ ... Show More
23m 18s
Dec 2024
Sustainable Business Success
Welcome to another insightful episode of Accelerate Your Business Growth! Today, our host Diane Helbig sits down with Dr. Ian Brook, CEO and founder of Rhodes Smith Consulting, to delve into the essence of intentional transformation in the business world. In this episode, Ian hig ... Show More
41m 37s
Mar 2025
3 Key Lessons From Real Entrepreneurs: Scaling, Branding & Reinventing | GaryVee Business Q&A
Want to stay ahead as an entrepreneur in 2025? This episode is a crash course in evolving your business, featuring three real entrepreneurs tackling three major challenges—scaling, branding, and reinvention.Pulled from the most impactful moments of 4Ds, these conversations are ha ... Show More
33m 4s
Sep 2024
Career Progression at Startups - Caution: NOT How Big Companies Do It (Edu)
One of the toughest challenges in early-stage startups is managing employee career development. Unlike big corporations, startups thrive on chaos, ownership, and self-driven growth, meaning traditional professional development programs often fall flat.  In this episode, Chris Saa ... Show More
53m 11s
Jul 2024
MBA2499 Why I Never Needed Investors For My Businesses
Ever thought about whether you really need investors to build a successful business, or if it’s possible to thrive without their backing? Many entrepreneurs believe that securing investor funding is crucial for launching and growing their ventures. But what if there’s an alternat ... Show More
18m 2s