Most scaling advice focuses on radical innovation, but Stan Kwiatkowski, COO of MasterBorn, argues the opposite: master the basics first. In this episode, Stan breaks down his three-phase framework for scaling software companies from 30 to 3,000 employeesstarting with "do no harm" to protect what's working, realigning leadership around an explicit "why," and building systematic processes that empower rather than constrain. He introduces the concept of "autonomy boxes" for leaders and explains why adult learning requires on-the-job mentoring over classroom training. Stan also shares his contrarian take on AI hype and why data-driven decisions matter less than having 3-4 forecasted, actionable metrics you can actually control. Learn more:No Silver Bullets: Master the Basics
