Fast growth is supposed to feel like momentum. But for many companies, it quietly turns into friction.

In this episode of How to Build a Growth System, Colin and Chris unpack the concept of growth debt — the organisational equivalent of technical debt — and why it may be costing scaling companies 20–30% of their revenue without anyone realising.

Starting with Stripe’s finding that a third of developer time is lost to technical debt, the conversation zooms out to show how similar dynamics play out across people, processes, systems, and culture. The result? Teams working harder than ever, yet delivering less. Strategy that looks great on slides but never quite lands. And organisations that slow down just as they try to accelerate.

Through a real-world SaaS case study, Chris explains how a well-intentioned attempt to speed up sales created cascading failures across customer success, marketing, onboarding, and data — a textbook example of growth debt compounding over time.

The episode explores:

1. What growth debt actually is (and why it’s more dangerous than technical debt)
2. How complexity, context switching, and tool sprawl erode performance
3. The warning signs leaders miss — from stalled strategy execution to rising churn
4. Why throwing more tools, people, or budget at the problem usually makes it worse
5. Practical ways to surface, measure, and start paying down growth debt before it becomes existential

The key takeaway? Sustainable growth isn’t about moving faster everywhere — it’s about knowing where to slow down, reducing complexity, and designing systems that still work when you double in size.

If you’ve ever felt like your organisation is running at full speed but getting nowhere, this episode will help you see why — and what to do next.

Most leaders treat silos as a collaboration problem.

In this episode, Chris and Colin argue they’re something else entirely.

Silos aren’t caused by people failing to work together — they’re the natural output of the systems those people are working in.

Through real-world examples, systems thinking, and practical tools, this episode breaks down:

1. why smart, well-intentioned teams still end up working at cross-purposes
2. how organizational structure quietly overpowers individual intent
3. and what leaders can actually do to diagnose and fix the real causes of siloed behavior.

This is a diagnostic-first conversation focused on fixing systems, not blaming people.

1. Why silos form even when everyone is competent and motivated (Hint: structure beats intent, every time.)
2. The difference between people problems and system problems — and how to tell which one you’re actually dealing with.
3. Why “alignment meetings” rarely create alignment and often make the underlying issues worse.
4. How Conway’s Law shows up in customer experience (your org chart leaks into your product).
5. Why coordination costs rise exponentially as organizations scale — and what that means for growth teams.
6. How to spot systemic friction including misaligned goals, unclear ownership, broken handoffs, and siloed data.
7. Value Stream Mapping, explained simply and why it’s one of the most powerful tools for diagnosing growth friction.
8. A concrete lead management example showing how hours of delay and wasted effort can be eliminated with better system design.
9. The role of shared goals, shared context, and incentives in breaking silos sustainably.
10. Practical advice you can apply this week without mapping your entire organization or launching a transformation program.

Summary

In this episode, Colin and Chris explore the concept of self-organization as a superpower for B2B growth. They discuss the paradox of agility versus control, the impact of bureaucracy on innovation, and the cultural biases that lead to over-control in organizations. Through the metaphor of a bowling lane, they illustrate the importance of clear purpose and boundaries in enabling teams to self-organize effectively. The episode also features a case study on Burt's Org, a healthcare company that successfully implemented self-organizing teams, leading to improved outcomes. The conversation concludes with practical advice for leaders on fostering self-organization within their teams.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Growth Systems

02:48 The Paradox of Agility and Control

05:50 The Impact of Control on Innovation

08:39 Cultural Bias Towards Control

10:31 The Bowling Lane Metaphor for Purpose

12:53 Case Study: Burt's Org and Self-Organization

15:42 Implementing Self-Organization in Teams

17:41 Final Thoughts on Control and Growth

Keywords

B2B growth, self-organization, agility, control, innovation, management, organizational design, growth systems, leadership, team dynamics