A recent HBR article recommends foundation-first thinking that focuses on unit economics, even when that comes at the... 0 ▲ Questions Considered 1 hour ago · Culture · hide A recent HBR article recommends foundation-first thinking that focuses on unit economics, even when that comes at the cost of growth. For decades, entrepreneurs have been told to prioritize growth above all else. But the authors’ research shows that this “growth first” logic often undermines long-term success. In their rush to reach scale, founders frequently lock in flawed business models with weak unit economics—a problem that becomes harder to fix as firms grow. The most successful ventures take the opposite approach. They build a strong foundation before scaling up by rigorously testing both revenue and cost drivers, simplifying their business models, and deliberately delaying growth. This “foundation first” approach enables founders to achieve product-market fit with a viable economic model in place. Growth then becomes a process of replication rather than discovery—allowing companies to expand faster, more efficiently, and with far greater odds of long-term success. The Risks of… Commenting on Bubbles has been removed. Why? If you want to talk about this post, write to the author, use the comments on their blog if it has them, or reply with a "RE:" post on your own blog. Suggestions? feedback@bubbles.town
