Based on Chapter 6 of The Art of Scale

Scaling a business isn’t about paddling harder. It’s about setting your sails to catch the wind. The companies that win aren’t the ones that do the most; they’re the ones that do one thing better than anyone else – the thing their customers most value.

When we worked with Zemco, an African fintech company, they were at a crossroads. Initially, they dominated their niche in the remittance space, but after raising venture capital, they expanded too fast with new products, new markets, and new customer segments. Instead of accelerating growth, they hit a wall. The team was stretched thin, execution suffered, and their momentum stalled.

The solution? Refocus.

By cutting distractions and doubling down on their core strengths, Zemco:

• Grew 380% in 18 months
• Doubled their team while simplifying execution
• Regained dominance in their core market

The lesson is clear: trying to be great at everything will make you great at nothing.

If you feel like your business is paddling hard but getting nowhere, it’s time to sharpen your focus.

Set Your Sails to Catch the Wind

When Steve Jobs returned to a nearly bankrupt Apple in 1997, he was asked about his revival plan. His response was surprisingly simple: “I’m going to wait for the next big thing.”

That’s worth thinking about.

Jobs didn’t try to compete in every market or chase every opportunity. Instead, he cut 70% of Apple’s product line to focus on what they could do brilliantly. He rebuilt Apple’s foundation by concentrating on core strengths.

When the “next big thing” arrived – digital music and the MP3 revolution – Apple was ready with the iPod. This single product eventually accounted for nearly half of Apple’s revenue, laying the groundwork for the iPhone and iPad that followed. The rest is history.

What did Jobs understand that most entrepreneurs miss? If you want to go fast and far, don’t paddle harder. Set your sails to catch the wind.

The Power of Being #1

Research by Bain & Co. on the world’s most successful companies revealed something shocking: only 11% achieved sustainable profit growth over a decade. What separated these Sustained Value Creators from the rest?

They were #1 in their core market.

Not #17. Not #10. Not even #2. They were #1.

Why does this matter so much?

When customers have a need, who do they call? They call the best option – the #1 choice. This creates a virtuous cycle of market dominance:

• Lower customer acquisition costs – Customers come to you first
• Higher conversion rates – Customers trust you more
• Better margins – You don’t compete on price
• More cash flow – Allowing reinvestment to stay ahead

Meanwhile, if you’re #2 or #3, you face a vicious cycle: spending more to win customers, working harder to keep them, with lower margins and less cash to invest in staying competitive.

Small Can Be Mighty

This principle applies to businesses of every size.

When we worked with an African fintech company, they were at a crossroads. Initially dominant in their remittance niche, they expanded too fast with new products, markets, and customer segments. Instead of accelerating growth, they hit a wall.

The solution? Refocus on their core strengths.

By cutting distractions and doubling down on where they could be #1, they:

• Grew 380% in 18 months
• Doubled their team while simplifying execution
• Regained dominance in their core market

You don’t need to lead a huge market like consumer electronics. But you must dominate a beautiful niche.

The Cost of Saying “Yes”

Entrepreneurs are wired to see opportunity everywhere. The temptation to say “yes” is constant – new products, partnerships, markets.

But as Tim Cook put it: “We say no to good ideas every day. We say no to great ideas in order to keep the number of things we focus on very small in number so that we can put enormous energy behind the ones we do choose.”

Most scale-ups fall into the trap of “opportunity-driven growth” – responding to special client requests, chasing that contract, setting up in the next city – until they have multiple business models pretending to be one business.

The result? Diluted excellence. Chaotic operations. Wind leakage. No matter how big your sail, if it’s flapping in the wind, you won’t move fast.

Where and How Will You Be #1?

To set your sails effectively, answer these questions:

Where will you be #1?

• Your target market segment(s)
• The problem(s) you solve
• Your core products/services
• Your channels to market

How will you be #1?

• Your difference (value proposition)
• Your competitive advantage (your moat)
• Your repeatable business model
• Your three-year game plan

If an opportunity doesn’t align with these answers, it’s a distraction. Say no.

What’s Next?

In the next post, we’ll unpack Principle #2: Find Your Purple Cow – how to stand out in a crowded market.

For now, ask yourself:

• What is the one thing my business can be the best at?
• Am I chasing too many opportunities instead of doubling down on where I can win?
• Do I need to cut distractions to refocus on my core?

Remember: Scaling isn’t about doing more. It’s about achieving more by doing what matters most.

Resources & Tools

See tools on Artofscale.io/book/tools.

• Scale Up X-Ray™ – Strategy discipline. 
• Strategy Canvas template.  
• Art of Strategy Course.  
• Strategy Story Canvas.  
• The Art of Strategy e-book.  
• Advisory Board toolkit.
• Curated book summaries: Profit from the Core; Purple Cow; Competitive Strategy; Blue Ocean Strategy; Business Model Generation; Positioning; many others.

References:

For a deeper dive into the Art of Strategy, dive into The Art of Strategy (Chapter 6 of The Art of Scale) – Defining focus and the power of being #1 in your core market.

Keep Reading

Dive into our recent blogs for more insights and tools