When small, act small
Do what the big boys can't
“This is the first time in my working life that there’s no one else.” This realisation feels both scary and exciting.
I have just wrapped up my forty year corporate career which included stints at IBM (computing), ICI (petrochemicals), C&W (telecoms) and, finally, Vodafone (telecoms). These were international businesses with thousands of employees spread across the globe.
Large organisations are characterised by scale-driven complexity, including layers of hierarchy, specialised roles, formal processes and slower, risk-averse decision-making to ensure stability and control. As a corporate animal, I’m sure that I’ve been habitualised into a certain way of thinking and acting.
In complete contrast, now I’m flying solo. I have complete control and responsibility. I’m building Incygames Ltd, a holding company for apps, including games. It’s just me. No brand, team, process or scale.
The immediate question is: how should I behave differently?
The trap of thinking big
A startup is not a smaller version of a large company. - Steve Blank
My instinct, shaped by years in large organisations, is to think in terms of scale. Strategy. Structure. Process. That’s how to survive and succeed in big companies.
That instinct is misplaced when you’re starting from zero.
Large organisations optimise for predictability and control. Startups require speed and discovery.
Gary Tan, Y Combinator’s CEO, gave a talk where he suggested something which feels relevant: when small, act small. Avoid the mistake of trying to imitate the behaviours of large companies, that earned their position through years of iteration.
Start with what you can carry
Great companies are built by doing things that don’t scale. - Paul Graham
In the early days of Airbnb, the founders didn’t start with a global platform or sophisticated systems. They rented out air mattresses in their own apartment. When growth stalled, they didn’t redesign the system. Instead, they went to New York, met their hosts face-to-face and found the issue: poor photos. They knocked on doors, borrowed a camera and took the photos themselves. No automation. No process. Just direct action. Bookings doubled.
That’s starting small. Not building for thousands, but solving for a few. Not abstract planning, but doing.
For me, it means resisting the urge to overbuild. No grand platform. No perfect architecture. Just something simple that works for a real person. One app. One user. One problem solved. Then the next.
Be responsive to users
Customers will tell you what they want. You just have to listen. - Gary Tan
In large organisations, customer feedback is filtered through layers. Reports, dashboards, summaries. Distance is built into the system.
When I launched my mobile game, Conxy, and players sent me feedback, I was able to engage and rapidly respond. I will have this level of engagement with future users of other apps I release.
When small, we can be highly responsive. Direct engagement with users is possible and issues can be fixed rapidly.
Gary Tan points out that even a single human response can dramatically increase engagement. That feels obvious once you see it, but easy to ignore when you’re buried in process.
Smallness removes that barrier.
Become a generalist
You can learn anything. - Gary Tan
Large organisations require and reward specialisation. Employees become good at a narrow range of skills.
Startups, in contrast, require generalists. We design, build, market, sell and support. Akin to a Swiss Army knife. Not perfect at everything, but capable across many domains.
I feel I am a generalist. I have worked in a variety of fields, including IT, marketing, operations, project management and corporate strategy. I have written on topics ranging from design, communication, psychology and philosophy. Now it is time for me to apply these interests to my own venture.
Move before ready
If you’re not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late. - Reid Hoffman
When we’re early, we don’t know enough to be confident. We make guesses. Acting small allows us to test those guesses quickly. We can try things that don’t scale. Change direction. Learn without committing everything.
Large organisations struggle with this. Too much coordination. Too much risk.
As a solo founder, I can move quickly. That’s my edge.
Be human, not corporate
People are starving for authenticity. - Gary Tan
We are surrounded by polished communication from corporations which lack personality. Smooth, safe and distant.
But when we’re small, distance is a disadvantage. Instead, we can be direct and attentive. People love it when they feel special.
It’s not about sounding impressive, but being useful.
Want more?
How Small Businesses Can Beat Big Ones talk by Alex Hormozi
Being Unknown is an Advantage post by Phil Martin
Five Principles to Productise Yourself post by Phil Martin
I will step forward on my solo path with Gary Tan’s encouraging words, “Be yourself. That’s your unfair advantage.“
Have fun.
Phil…
