In the world of trees, we are often taught this is natural selection at its finest. There is a battle waging - albeit slow - between those who will grow to be among the tallest and strongest and those who will not.

Yet, according to Peter Wohlleben, author of The Hidden Life of Trees, the reality of trees is vastly different. “A tree,” he writes, “can be only as strong as the surrounding forest.” Their perceived “competition” is actually a vital community essential to survival. Nutrients, water, and resources are shared. An isolated tree may grow bigger and stronger quickly - but its life span is significantly cut short. 

In the forest of startups, we have created a false “scale at all costs” philosophy. Grow quicker and faster, snuff out competitors, and break everything until it stops breaking - or until you break. We are all witnesses to the outcome of this approach - and its fallacy. Natural selection isn’t actually what creates more vigorous trees. It’s the trees that grow slower, conserve their water, and rely on the resources of their community that thrive, live longer, and pass along their teachings to their seedlings. 

Do what is great while it is small.

“Plan for what is difficult while it is easy; do what is great while it is small,” writes Sun Tzu in the famous book The Art of War. “The most difficult things in the world must be done while they are still easy; the greatest things in the world must be done while they are still small. For this reason, sages never do what is great, which is why they can achieve that greatness.”

This perspective is fundamental to building slower, closer rather than faster, further. A good prenup doesn’t predict a dissolved marriage. It simply provides a plan for one of the most difficult events of a person’s life - a marriage ending. While it is not “easy,” it is easier to outline the ending when both people are still in love than in the throes of heartbreak and anger - and can even lead to a healthier marriage. The same applies to cofounder partnerships, operational agreements, and the fundamental legal documents that dot every “i” and cross every “t”. Or policies outlining culture, work expectations, and unacceptable behaviors. Do it now when it hasn’t happened before becoming complicated and messy. Sometimes, in writing a prenup or an HR policy, you find yourself in a litmus test where many decide it’s too much, not enough, or bad timing. And it is better to determine that now than decades and a bad breakup later. 

Starting with greatness with only one or two employees can feel like a bridge many would prefer to wait to cross. Can you hear yourself mentally replying, "I like this idea, but… 

“We are not there yet.”

“We don’t have time for this!”

“Yes, but later.”

When years pass, many folks regret the steps they set aside in the beginning when capital is spent, and employees quit, get fired, and are laid off. Instilling change, processes, or culture is suddenly far more complicated. Doing what is great takes time, commitment, community, intention, and work. It is a direct gut punch to “scale at all costs” and “hustle harder.”

Our very name - Small Great Ventures - is an obvious callback to this Art of War quote, and we operate by its ethos. Here’s how we planned for greatness by starting small:  

‍1. Create the vision.  For Small Great Ventures, we aim to build products that solve climate, financial inclusion, mental wellness, and reduce partisanship. Right now, there are only 3 of us. We have much to shoulder until we scale an impactful product. 

2. Outline our approach/build frameworks. Coming from the agency and startup world, we knew what worked, what didn’t, and what we wished we had done differently. We had the perspective of experience, failure, and success. We took our “best of” and outlined the aspects we knew were fundamental to starting our new venture studio:

• A culture code outlines our vision, mission, values, and how we integrate each into our work
• Our employee handbook details our culture, environment, expectations, and guidelines 
• The product validation process structures a way  prove or disprove our ideas with rigor
• An employee incentive plan to incentivizes ownership and long-term commitment throughout the team
• Our project management process guide and platform to keep us organized and accountable 
• The performance management framework prepares our team for growth opportunities, empowerment, and long-term fit. 

While these don’t directly point to the product or products we hope to build, we feel each is fundamental to successfully building, scaling, hiring, and growing our entire company. Will these evolve? Absolutely - as every great strategy should. We are planning for greatness while we are still very small.

3. Commit, commit, commit - practice, practice, practice.  It will be hard for the three of us to completely abide by the outlines we have put together - mainly because everything is in “theory” form. If it’s hard for the three of us to learn - it will undoubtedly be exponentially harder when we have a larger team.  We are each committed to practicing what we preach - and have daily stand ups  each week to ensure we do. 

4. Build in an accountability factor. How are you showing up in the commitments? We have weekly check-ins, monthly progress reviews and quarterly goal setting to hold each other accountable for the values and approaches we promise to uphold. 

5. Make space for change. Change is inevitable - create space for it. Our project management system has an annual task to revisit our process guidelines, discuss what is working best, and where we can find more efficiencies. 

And, if nothing else, turn to the trees for inspiration. 

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