How to Build a Growth System

Primary recommendation (sharp + timely):

“Don’t Automate Chaos: Why Most AI Transformations Fail”

Alternatives (more/less provocative):

1. “Rocket Boosters on Paper Planes: The AI Implementation Trap”
2. “AI Isn’t the Problem—Your System Is”
3. “Agentic AI, Real Risk: How to Avoid Scaling Dysfunction”
4. “The 80% AI Failure Rate: What Leaders Keep Missing”
5. “AI Transformation ≠ IT Project: The Systems Approach”

Companies are spending thousands — even millions — on AI. And then… confusion. Worse outcomes. More complexity. More opacity. Sometimes, real reputational or legal blowback.

In this episode of How to Build a Growth System, Colin and Chris unpack why so many AI rollouts are failing to deliver measurable value — and why the “race to AI” is pushing organisations into a dangerous pattern: automating broken systems.

Drawing on widely reported failure rates (including claims that ~80% of organisations see no measurable positive impact), they argue the core issue isn’t the model, the vendor, or whether GenAI “works.” It’s that leaders are treating AI like just another tool rollout, when it’s actually a business transformation problem.

The conversation explores:

1. Why AI often becomes “a rocket booster on a paper aeroplane”
2. How agentic AI can amplify risk when goals, rules, and context are unclear
3. Real-world cautionary tales (including public failures like AI drive-thru ordering and misguided regulatory chatbots)
4. The systemic causes behind bad outcomes: broken processes, contradictory information environments, weak governance, and unclear ownership
5. Why “move fast and break things” becomes far more dangerous with autonomous systems
6. The missing ingredient: systems education at the executive level

And crucially, they outline what to do instead: treat AI as a transformation programme, understand and redesign the underlying system first, and only then layer intelligent automation on top — with governance that enables speed through clarity, not just legal risk mitigation.

The takeaway is simple: AI can be a force multiplier — but only for organisations with foundations solid enough to multiply what works, not what’s broken.

Dashboards get all the attention — but they don’t actually move the business. They just report the news.

In this episode of How to Build a Growth System, Colin and Chris go one level deeper, exploring the signals underneath the dashboard and how to turn them into feedback loops that make your business faster, smarter, and harder to knock off course.

They break down feedback loops in plain language: a loop isn’t a metric you monitor — it’s a signal that reliably triggers action and creates learning. From thermostats and sweating to customer reviews and churn, feedback loops are operating in every business whether you harness them or not.

You’ll learn:

1. What feedback loops are (and why they’re the “control wiring” of the organisation)
2. The difference between reinforcing loops (that compound change) and balancing loops (that restore stability)
3. Why “flywheels” are only part of the story — and how loops interact across teams
4. How qualitative “quiet signals” (call transcripts, support themes, community chatter) can be better leading indicators than headline metrics
5. A practical way to audit your loops using signal → insight → decision → action and the hidden killer: latency
6. Common failure modes: listening too slowly, too much noise, and dead loops with no ownership
7. Why acting faster isn’t always better — and how overreacting can create oscillations and unintended side effects

The big takeaway: if you want dashboards that truly help, start treating them as gauges of the loops that drive behaviour, not a wall of numbers. Tune into the right signals, assign ownership, and build operational rhythms that turn feedback into action — at the right speed.

Summary

In this conversation, Colin and Chris explore the dysfunctions caused by poorly designed dashboards in organizations. They discuss how metrics can mislead teams into believing they are successful while the reality is quite different. Through examples like the Royal Bank of Scotland, they illustrate the dangers of metric fixation and the importance of designing dashboards that reflect true performance. The discussion emphasizes the need for a cultural shift towards valuing truth and learning over mere numbers, and offers practical advice for revenue leaders on creating effective dashboards that drive meaningful outcomes.

Takeaways

1. Dashboards often misrepresent reality, leading to false success.
2. Metric fixation can create a culture of gaming the system.
3. Siloed dashboards can cost businesses over a trillion dollars annually.
4. Goodhart's Law highlights the dangers of tying metrics to compensation.
5. Effective dashboards should have counter metrics to prevent gaming.
6. Shared ownership of metrics can reduce departmental silos.
7. AI can help refine metrics but doesn't replace the need for good design.
8. Cultural change is necessary to prioritize learning over gaming.
9. Identifying toxic dashboards is crucial for organizational health.
10. A minimum viable dashboard should focus on a few key metrics.

Chapters

00:00 The Dashboard Dilemma

02:05 The Illusion of Success

06:36 The Cost of Metric Fixation

09:53 Goodhart's Law and Its Consequences

14:30 From Good Intentions to Dysfunction

21:00 Identifying Toxic Dashboards

23:55 The Dashboard Dilemma

27:36 Designing Effective Dashboards

33:00 Shared Metrics and Collaboration

35:00 The Role of AI in Metrics

38:15 Practical Advice for Revenue Leaders

43:52 Cultural Shifts in Metrics Management

Fast growth is supposed to feel like momentum. But for many companies, it quietly turns into friction.

In this episode of How to Build a Growth System, Colin and Chris unpack the concept of growth debt — the organisational equivalent of technical debt — and why it may be costing scaling companies 20–30% of their revenue without anyone realising.

Starting with Stripe’s finding that a third of developer time is lost to technical debt, the conversation zooms out to show how similar dynamics play out across people, processes, systems, and culture. The result? Teams working harder than ever, yet delivering less. Strategy that looks great on slides but never quite lands. And organisations that slow down just as they try to accelerate.

Through a real-world SaaS case study, Chris explains how a well-intentioned attempt to speed up sales created cascading failures across customer success, marketing, onboarding, and data — a textbook example of growth debt compounding over time.

The episode explores:

1. What growth debt actually is (and why it’s more dangerous than technical debt)
2. How complexity, context switching, and tool sprawl erode performance
3. The warning signs leaders miss — from stalled strategy execution to rising churn
4. Why throwing more tools, people, or budget at the problem usually makes it worse
5. Practical ways to surface, measure, and start paying down growth debt before it becomes existential

The key takeaway? Sustainable growth isn’t about moving faster everywhere — it’s about knowing where to slow down, reducing complexity, and designing systems that still work when you double in size.

If you’ve ever felt like your organisation is running at full speed but getting nowhere, this episode will help you see why — and what to do next.

Most leaders treat silos as a collaboration problem.

In this episode, Chris and Colin argue they’re something else entirely.

Silos aren’t caused by people failing to work together — they’re the natural output of the systems those people are working in.

Through real-world examples, systems thinking, and practical tools, this episode breaks down:

1. why smart, well-intentioned teams still end up working at cross-purposes
2. how organizational structure quietly overpowers individual intent
3. and what leaders can actually do to diagnose and fix the real causes of siloed behavior.

This is a diagnostic-first conversation focused on fixing systems, not blaming people.

1. Why silos form even when everyone is competent and motivated (Hint: structure beats intent, every time.)
2. The difference between people problems and system problems — and how to tell which one you’re actually dealing with.
3. Why “alignment meetings” rarely create alignment and often make the underlying issues worse.
4. How Conway’s Law shows up in customer experience (your org chart leaks into your product).
5. Why coordination costs rise exponentially as organizations scale — and what that means for growth teams.
6. How to spot systemic friction including misaligned goals, unclear ownership, broken handoffs, and siloed data.
7. Value Stream Mapping, explained simply and why it’s one of the most powerful tools for diagnosing growth friction.
8. A concrete lead management example showing how hours of delay and wasted effort can be eliminated with better system design.
9. The role of shared goals, shared context, and incentives in breaking silos sustainably.
10. Practical advice you can apply this week without mapping your entire organization or launching a transformation program.

Summary

In this episode, Colin and Chris explore the concept of self-organization as a superpower for B2B growth. They discuss the paradox of agility versus control, the impact of bureaucracy on innovation, and the cultural biases that lead to over-control in organizations. Through the metaphor of a bowling lane, they illustrate the importance of clear purpose and boundaries in enabling teams to self-organize effectively. The episode also features a case study on Burt's Org, a healthcare company that successfully implemented self-organizing teams, leading to improved outcomes. The conversation concludes with practical advice for leaders on fostering self-organization within their teams.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Growth Systems

02:48 The Paradox of Agility and Control

05:50 The Impact of Control on Innovation

08:39 Cultural Bias Towards Control

10:31 The Bowling Lane Metaphor for Purpose

12:53 Case Study: Burt's Org and Self-Organization

15:42 Implementing Self-Organization in Teams

17:41 Final Thoughts on Control and Growth

Keywords

B2B growth, self-organization, agility, control, innovation, management, organizational design, growth systems, leadership, team dynamics

In this episode of The Growth System, Colin and Chris explore the concept of mastery within B2B growth systems, emphasising the importance of personal and professional development. They discuss the role of psychological safety in fostering an environment where individuals can thrive and the need for organisations to understand the dimensions of mastery, including technical proficiency, strategic understanding, and transformative capability.

The conversation also highlights the risks associated with mastery silos and skills decay, advocating for a more holistic approach to knowledge transfer and development within organisations.

In this episode, Chris and Colin discuss the importance of managing intellectual capital within organisations, emphasising the need for active management to prevent skills decay. They explore the role of feedback loops in knowledge management and how embedding AI mastery is crucial for future organisational success.

The conversation also delves into the concept of collective mastery and networked intelligence, highlighting the significance of cultural fit in hiring practices. Finally, they touch on the future of intellectual capital and the integration of AI in organisational processes.

00:00 Understanding Mastery in Growth Systems

06:01 The Role of Psychological Safety

14:05 Dimensions of Mastery

20:10 Breaking Down Mastery Silos

24:29 Addressing Skills Decay

27:36 Managing Intellectual Capital

30:12 Feedback Loops in Knowledge Management

34:37 Embedding AI Mastery in Organizations

41:15 Collective Mastery and Networked Intelligence

48:38 The Future of Intellectual Capital and AI

This conversation delves into the complexities of incentives within B2B growth, emphasising the importance of understanding how compensation structures influence organisational behaviour. The discussion highlights the balance between short-term and long-term goals, the impact of feedback loops, and the consequences of misalignment between stated values and actual incentives.

The speakers share cautionary tales of incentive mismanagement and explore the nuances of fixed versus variable compensation in driving desired behaviours. In this conversation, Chris and Colin delve into the complexities of sales incentives, discussing how to structure them effectively to drive desired behaviours and outcomes. They explore the pitfalls of traditional incentive systems, the importance of aligning incentives with long-term goals, and the need for adaptability in incentive plans.

The discussion highlights the significance of measuring inputs and outputs, the dangers of gaming the system, and the role of both financial and non-financial incentives in motivating sales teams.

00:00 Understanding Incentives in B2B Growth

03:02 The Impact of Compensation Structures

05:58 Short-Term vs Long-Term Incentives

08:56 Feedback Loops in Incentive Systems

12:08 Misalignment of Values and Incentives

15:00 Cautionary Tales of Incentive Mismanagement

17:58 Balancing Fixed and Variable Compensation

24:54 Transforming Sales Incentives

30:37 The Gaming of the System

32:51 Designing Adaptive Incentive Systems

39:53 Long-Term vs Short-Term Incentives

45:41 Final Thoughts on Incentives

In this episode of The Growth System, Colin and Chris delve into the critical role of collaboration within B2B growth systems. They define collaboration as the key interconnection that facilitates the flow of information and decision-making across teams. The discussion highlights the importance of quality collaboration, identifying pitfalls such as excessive meetings and poor communication practices.

Best practices for effective collaboration are explored, emphasising the need for shared purpose and operational rhythm. The episode also addresses the significance of asynchronous communication in reducing meeting overload and enhancing productivity. This conversation explores the evolving nature of collaboration in the workplace, emphasizing the importance of asynchronous communication, the balance between synchronous and asynchronous work, and the impact of AI agents on teamwork.

The speakers discuss how effective communication strategies can enhance productivity and decision-making, while also addressing the challenges posed by static frameworks in dynamic environments. They delve into the rise of AI agents, their role in augmenting human capabilities, and the need for governance and explainability in AI workflows. The discussion concludes with a reflection on the future of work and the necessity of adapting collaboration practices to incorporate AI technologies.

00:00 Understanding Collaboration in Growth Systems

07:11 Identifying Collaboration Pitfalls

12:11 Best Practices for Effective Collaboration

20:52 Designing Operational Rhythm for Collaboration

25:51 The Role of Asynchronous Communication

32:36 Enhancing Collaboration Through Asynchronous Communication

35:56 Balancing Synchronous and Asynchronous Work

44:11 The Rise of AI Agents in Collaboration

57:59 Navigating the Future of Work with AI

In this episode, Colin and Chris delve into the complexities of authority within organisations, exploring how it is often misunderstood as a binary concept tied to org charts. They discuss the Viable System Model and the importance of distributed control, emphasising the need for feedback loops in decision-making processes. The conversation shifts to the balance between centralisation and decentralisation, highlighting the pitfalls of both extremes. They also touch on the significance of organisational culture and the role of shadow authority in shaping decision-making dynamics.

Ultimately, the episode underscores the importance of understanding the informal networks and true power dynamics that exist within organisations. In this conversation, Colin and Chris explore the complexities of authority within organisations, particularly in the context of mission-based teams and the growth team operating system. They discuss the importance of understanding informal authority structures, the management of cross-functional teams, and the need for clear governance to ensure effectiveness.

The conversation also delves into how authority evolves during crises and the significance of scenario planning to prepare for potential disruptions. Ultimately, they emphasise the need for organisations to be agile and adaptable, fostering a culture that can respond to changes and challenges effectively.

00:00 Understanding Authority in Organisations

06:35 Balancing Centralisation and Decentralisation

16:26 Feedback Loops and Organisational Health

22:54 Shadow Authority and Informal Networks

30:44 Mapping Authority Structures

33:01 Managing Mission-Based Squads

41:11 Authority in the Growth Team Operating System

47:11 Navigating Authority During Crises

54:54 Building Agile Organisations