No Magic, Only Basic - To get more with less.

As I bask in the tranquility of the early morning, comfortably nestled on my couch, I find myself reflecting on the pivotal elements that contribute to business growth. Drawing from two decades of rich experience, I’ve come to realize that recognition of success is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s a journey punctuated by numerous initiatives and actions, some successful, others not so much. However, it’s through this process of rapid experimentation and learning from failures that we uncover the winning formula for business expansion. The essence of this formula? Speed and agility.

I recall a time when we were pitted against other major brands. While these brands launched high-profile projects that generated buzz but yielded poor results, we at ASUS adopted a different approach. We concentrated on enhancing the fundamentals - streamlining the price protection process, consistently offering the right products at the right prices, broadening our channels, identifying the right partners, and elevating our services. We didn’t fixate on a handful of “projects” to flaunt one or two achievements.

This strategy was also instrumental when I led Microsoft’s SMB business to become a top market contributor. Instead of succumbing to the allure of focusing on one aspect for internal branding, I chose to concentrate on several factors that impacted the business and relentlessly improved the basics. My philosophy is straightforward - we should establish automated systems that can propel business growth by 3x, even 10x.

Take channel distribution, for instance. To expand a business, we must focus on three crucial aspects - reach, frequency, and yield. Depending on the channel strategy, we can concentrate on all three or just one or two. It’s also vital to understand each partner’s strengths and strategies - some may close fewer deals in a year but of larger sizes, while others might have numerous small transactions.

I often liken business growth to a story. Imagine a village that needs water, but the source is far away. There are two ways to meet the village’s water needs. The first involves a group of people carrying water from the source to the village, one trip at a time. Those who can carry large quantities receive applause, so everyone strives to carry more water. However, as the nearest water source depletes and demand increases, everyone must walk further and carry more water, which is exhausting. The further you can walk and the more water you can bring back, the greater the celebration. But as the years pass, the challenges mount - the distances increase, the loads become heavier, and the villagers grow older and weaker, while the demand continues to rise and manpower dwindles.

The second method involves creating a system that allows water to flow automatically from the source to the village. Those who build this system aren’t recognized initially because they aren’t physically carrying water. But they persist in building the system. Often, those who carry water take advantage of the path or railway built by these individuals, but this is taken for granted. Building the railway is a continuous work in progress, but once complete, it connects the village to the source, eliminates resource issues, and ensures a steady water supply to the village that can adjust to increases in demand.

I believe businesses operate similarly. We can use both methods, but logically, resources will diminish over time, and we need to think creatively about how to grow the business through channels to achieve more with less.

Our task is to persistently improve and grow by doing the basics right. This is the key to sustainable business growth.