Upscaling 6 - Start-up versus Scale-up

A start-up or a scale-up are very different. In a start-up you have a blank canvas to design all the policies, processes, culture, infrastructure. For a start-up it is essential to put the “wheels on the bus”, for HR this means ensuring people actually have proper contracts, that there is a handbook, #onboarding, a #performancemanagement process and other basic policies. It’s a great opportunity to implement HR ideals that fit for the organisation.

With a scale-up, there is no blank canvas, but an existing picture that no longer fits the current and future needs of the organisation. It is not possible to start from scratch. The existing picture is built on factors and conditions that are no longer applicable. The objective becomes evolution.

It is essential to protect certain elements that must be anchored as part of the DNA for the future, larger organisation. There are elements that must evolve and transform becoming upgraded versions of their old self. And finally, there are elements that do need to be put in the bin, because they are no longer suited for the next leap of the journey of growth and have become scale-up blockers. Start-ups are all about building. Scale-ups are also about what to let go, what to transform, and what to anchor.