In startup culture, growing fast is often seen as a sign of success. But behind the headlines, many ventures collapse not from lack of ambition, but from scaling before they’re ready. Studies show that 70% of startups fail due to premature scaling, often stretching operations before laying solid foundations.
Ashlin Govender | image supplied
I’ve seen this up close, including in our own business. What worked for a small operation couldn’t simply be replicated at scale. Coordinating a few deliveries is vastly different from managing truck routes across provinces.
Without standardised processes and scalable systems, service quality dropped, customers were frustrated, and staff were left to fill the gaps manually.
Our turning point came when we paused to map out the core of our operations. We introduced route optimisation, live tracking, and structured SOPs for every team. That shift brought consistency and allowed us to grow with more control.
Hire with care, not speed
Rapid growth often leads to rushed hiring, and that can be costly. Research shows that 23% of startup failures are linked to having the wrong team. A bad hire affects far more than payroll; it can harm culture, morale, and momentum.
We tackled this by putting structure into how we onboard staff, ensuring each team member is trained, assessed, and aligned with our values before taking on their role.
Look past vanity metrics
Chasing revenue without checking margins is a common trap. Many startups burn through cash in pursuit of growth, ignoring unit economics — and over 80% of those don’t survive longer than 18 months.
In our case, a move from food delivery to logistics revealed that volume didn’t always mean value. We shifted focus to ensure that every route and contract contributed to the bottom line.
Don’t abandon your core customers
In the rush to scale, it’s easy to forget the customers who supported your early growth. Data shows 14% of startups fail because they lose sight of their core market.
Township logistics remains a key focus for us, not just historically, but because it’s where we deliver the most value. Expanding into new areas shouldn’t mean diluting what you do best.
Step back to scale up
One of the harder lessons in growth is that founders can become the bottleneck. Staying too close to day-to-day operations can slow everything down. We addressed this by building up mid-level leadership, giving teams the autonomy to execute while keeping strategy aligned.
Final thought
Scaling can’t just be fast — it needs to be timed right. Growth before readiness often leads to collapse. Building robust systems, hiring carefully, staying financially grounded, and trusting your team can make the difference between scaling up and breaking down.
