Crawl, Walk, Run vs Jog, Run, Sprint: Examining Contrasting Models of Business Growth

Growing a successful business is no easy feat. It requires strategic thinking and planning around how to pace progress in a sustainable yet ambitious manner. When it comes to expansion frameworks, two models often referenced are the relatively prudent “Crawl, Walk, Run” approach and the more aggressive “Jog, Run, Sprint” pathway.

In this comprehensive blog post, we’ll analyze these models in-depth, examine their pros and cons, discuss why companies frequently end up diverging from slower growth plans towards rapid acceleration, and provide actionable recommendations on how organizations can pursue smart scaling.

The Gradual Crawl, Walk, Run Business Growth Model

The metaphorical “Crawl, Walk, Run” approach essentially advocates taking measured steps to test assumptions prior to accelerating growth. It emphasizes getting the foundations right, even at the cost of slower initial advancement. Here is an overview of each phase:

1. The Crawl Stage

This beginning stage is all about perfecting the core offering and business fundamentals when commercial viability is still unproven. Key elements include:

Refine product-market fit: Rather than rushing out an untested prototype, invest time iterating until distinctive product-market fit is achieved. Listen to early adopters through rounds of user testing and feedback to improve stickiness.

Concrete operations: Establish robust operations in areas such as production, delivery models and customer support rather than prematurely focusing on flashy marketing and sales.

Process orientation: Create reliable systems and standard operating procedures even if still small-scale. The goal is laying the infrastructure to smoothly scale later.

Organic growth: Customer acquisition is primarily through word-of-mouth and referrals rather than paid channels. The emphasis is on profitability over unprofitable growth tactics.

The crawl stage is thus about nailing the business recipe before increasing quantities served. Moving too fast too soon can waste resources better spent on perfecting foundations when the viability remains unsure.

Of course, the crawl mindset has its critiques too. Slow progress leaves the door open for competitors and misses tapping into powerful momentum effects early on. But it’s a trade-off some accept for increased stability.

2. The Walk Stage

Once core product-market fit and repeatability of key business processes is empirically established through initial traction and customer loyalty, firms enter the “Walk” phase. This involves carefully expanding reach and capabilities including:

Controlled marketing: Begin steadily upping marketing expenditure and reach. However, optimize spend through continual testing and ensure sustainable ROI across channels.

Measured hiring: Only onboard talent when there is sufficient commercial justification and established training systems. Maintain lean culture avoiding premature bloating of payroll expenses.

Gradual distribution: Widen physical and digital distribution in a phased city-by-city manner for instance to keep growth steady versus explosive overnight.

Conservative financing: Raise new funding rounds only when hit predetermined operational milestones warranting infusion for the next stage while avoiding dangerous cash burns.

The walking stage is thus about taking growth to the next level in a controlled manner with guardrails to avoid stumbling. The tempo marks a transition from crawl mode to now building steady momentum.

3. The Run Stage

The final “Run” phase is when businesses leverage established product-market validation to rapidly pick up speed across dimensions like customer reach, revenue growth, team expansion and distribution penetration.

This stage sees hefty augmentation of key engines such as:

Wider product lines: Launch complementary products, spinoffs and brand extensions to flesh out the portfolio now that R&D systems are proven.

Heavy marketing and sales: Scale advertising budgets to widen brand influence. Grow dedicated sales teams to convert demand. Potentially expand to new demographics and geographies.

Ramped hiring: Rapidly expand specialist teams as operations can smoothly onboard and train at volume. Deeper vertical integration potentially with some functions brought in-house.

Surge of financing: Larger and later stage funding rounds to pour fuel on now de-risked growth. Potentially even get acquired by mature players seeking to absorb growth momentum.

The run phase is when organizations press down hard on the accelerator to amplify all flywheels with the confidence rooted in prior evidence. Risks remain under control thanks to the journey taken until this point.

The Faster Jog, Run, Sprint Model of Business Growth

In contrast to the measured Crawl, Walk, Run sequential framework centered on de-risking expansion gradually, the “Jog, Run, Sprint” model embraces moving rapidly out the gates and sustaining momentum across stages. Let’s break it down:

1. The Jog Stage

Rather than obsessing over perfection before raising a sweat, the jog phase is all about translating vision to reality quickly to start garnering traction:

Test experimentally: Get a trial version out, even if imperfect, to begin real-world testing rather than chasing theoretical excellence upfront. Fail fast and improve iteratively.

Tap early energy: Channel the natural motivation and adrenaline rush of a brand new business into rapid implementation before stagnation sets in.

Acquire seed capital: Line up early financing even if at the expense of higher dilution to enable moving fast. Give away larger equity chunks to build capabilities now.

First-mover positioning: Instead of waiting for competitors, be the first in the race to make a land grab around branding, customer acquisition and key partner deals.

Jog mode is thus about balancing speed with finding enough signals confirming core product-solution fit hypotheses. It avoids losing steam by maintaining momentum and capitalizing on initial enthusiasm.

However, sprinting ahead without reflecting heightens risks of having to backtrack if headed the wrong direction. Rash decisions also haunt later. Still, some see it as a calculated risk well worth taking.

2. The Run Stage

With indications of interest from initial users and backers, the next running phase sustains rapid iterations across functions:

Ramp marketing: Keep investing in advertising and promotions even without hard profitability data to power through the chasm period of slow conversions post-innovators.

Talent infusion: Bring on talent aggressively across technology, sales, support and operations to build institutional strengths rather than remain founder-centric.

Expansion sprinting: Speedily widen target demographics, penetration of distribution channels and deployment across regions to capitalize on windows of opportunity before imitators.

Further financing: Keep raising capital frequently even amidst losses to back growth experiments. New funding rounds used for next milestones stretching goals further.

Essentially “run” mode applies an aggressive growth playbook leveraging early positives signals to scale amidst uncertainty. Profitability and process discipline take a backseat to rushing products to markets thirsty for solutions.

But misreads of consumer responses can trigger careening off track requiring later course corrections. Additionally, undisciplined spending undermines stability. So constant reality checks are vital.

3. The Sprint Stage

The final business growth sprint sees hypercharged expansion across all aspects in a quest for market leadership:

This stage sees exponential acceleration of key engines such as:

Even wider product lines: Expand scope of offerings to flank competitors on all sides and entrench positioning as a one-stop shop. New products built rapidly atop existing platforms.

Viral marketing and sales: Pour hefty budgets into advertising and promotions to achieve virality and mass awareness. Scale commission-hungry sales teams rapidly.

Unbridled hiring: Onboard talent enmasse across the organization to match inflated ambitions and staff new initiatives popping up constantly.

Burn funding rates: Leverage investor FOMO and obsession with market cap milestones to raise larger, frequent funding rounds at soaring valuations enabling expensive growth experiments.

Sprint mode represents uninhibited acceleration where organizations leverage momentum, scale and funding mania to establish dominant standing across a swath of markets hitting escape velocity growth.

But such an aggressive quest for hypergrowth has its obvious perils too. Reckless expansion of inferior products. Teams and culture bloating into dysfunction. Precarious cash burn rates that can trigger implosion if funding dries up. Still, for some the quest for global monopoly justifies these risks.

 

Core Differences Between the Models

As evident in the detailed walkthroughs, the Crawl, Walk, Run and Jog, Run, Sprint models are anchored around fundamentally different philosophies regarding prudent versus aggressive expansion strategies.

Some salient trade-offs between the approaches include factors such as:

Speed vs Stability: Crawl-Walk-Run favors gradual escalations anchored to progress markers for establishing stability mastery before rapid growth. Jog-Run-Sprint aggressively accelerates out the gates to win at speed despite risks of stumbling.

Perfection vs Iteration: Crawl-Walk-Run deeply perfects offerings first before release as adoption is uncertain. Jog-Run-Sprint launches fast then iterates products rapidly based on user feedback.

Process vs Priorities: Crawl-Walk-Run doesn’t compromise foundational systems build for impatient expansion later. Sprinting deprioritizes process discipline feeling urgency wins markets.

Clearly, there are merits to both schools of thought and companies need to consider trade-offs closely when structuring growth trajectories.

Evolving From Slow to Fast Growth Playbooks

Having outlined these popular but starkly different business growth ideologies, we come to a frequent real world observation. Companies often set out initially intending to follow the tempered crawl-walk-run model but end up migrating towards aggressive jog-run-sprint behaviors.

What explains this phenomenon where despite best intentions, fast pacing ends up irresistibly winning over prudence? Let’s explore key drivers:

1. Seductive Investor Growth Expectations

A major influence often pushing companies to sprint relates to investor expectations. The VC model incentivizes swinging for explosive home runs rather than incremental singles. Their funding and oversight perpetuates focus on rapid, hockey stick trajectories chasing unicorn status rather than slower stability focused growth.

Many founders set out wishing to play it safe. But they get enticed by investor capital tied to delivering outsized returns rapidly. This inevitably pulls them towards fast expansion despite risks. Saying no to easy money is tough when competitors are vacuuming up rounds to sprint ahead ruthlessly.

2. Threat of Competition Forcing Hand

Another reason behind pivoting from crawl disciplines into running headlong relates to market competition. In many categories, oceans rapidly turn bloody with sharks in a feeding frenzy. Standing still cautiously is no option when rivals sprint at full velocity.

The fear of disruption or getting boxed out by fast movers pressures companies to abandon conservative plans in favor of rapid pursuit of scale. In times of intense rivalry, racing ahead recklessly often displaces creeping ahead prudently.

3. Founder Ambitions and Early Wins Breeding Overconfidence

Additionally, the background and track record of founders also explains many acceleration decisions departing from slow growth plans. Numerous innovators are inherently ambitious, restless and thirsty for meteoric expansion in pursuit of industry dominance. Their wired DNA gravitates towards running hot and fast.

Early traction and small wins also frequently feed overconfidence. The feeling “we can do no wrong” takes over driving founders impatient for quick wins to charge ahead prematurely despite lacking processes or capabilities. This hubrisfuelled urgency is a common trigger leapfrogging organizations hastily out of walking into sprinting.

4. Execution Challenges Slowing Momentum

Finally, sometimes external dynamics also force entrepreneurs’ hands regulations, supply bottlenecks, recruitment woes and various operational obstacles can throttle smooth execution of scaling plans. Momentum begins to taper off during the walking stage.

Rather than staying this challenging course, many alter strategies to sprint ahead aggressively in new directions where obstacles seem fewer. Desperation Avoiding stagnation often inspires excessive acceleration as founders seek fresh terrain allowing faster progress.

Recommendations for Smart Scaling

Having discussed the appeal of sprint model despite crawl-walk cadence preferences, are founders fated to inevitably abandon gradual growth strategies? Do ambient pressures guarantee ending up in breakneck speed territory?

Certainly temptations abound pulling companies towards rapid acceleration and entire industries succumb to collective mania. However, with self-awareness, discipline and proactive balancing mechanisms, organizations can stick to scaling sensibly.

Here are some tips:

Set Realistic Milestones - Rather than buying into hockey stick prophecies, set milestones mapping to business fundamentals over arbitrary growth curve shapes. This reduces pressure enabling sticking to crawl disciplines.

Structure Governance Carefully - Seeking appropriate investors aligned to prudent scaling and negotiating commitments upfront to governance models minimizes reckless influence. Independent board seats also help enforce disciplines counterbalancing irrational exuberance.

**Obsess Over Unit Economics ** - Ruthlessly focus expanding only when positive unit economics sustainably proven avoids pursuing unprofitable growth traps. Let profits signals guide scaling cadence over growth for its own sake.

Install Feedback Loops - Build operational feedback loops ensuring processes ramp only when metrics confirm capabilities in place to sustain quality and profit margins at larger volumes. Don’t scale simply based on funding availability.

Revisit Vision Periodically - Cadence tensions reflect overflowing ambitions beyond capabilities. Reigniting inspiration, revisiting progress and resetting visions to realistic trajectories avoids unrestrained acceleration.

While it’s easy to get seduced by the appeal of rapid acceleration, implementing checks and balances centered on sustainable scaling enables sticking to doing things in the right sequence, at the right time.