Framework
Root Development Sequencing
TL;DR
You can't build all five root systems simultaneously at equal intensity.
You can't build all five root systems simultaneously at equal intensity. This protocol sequences infrastructure development by company stage, identifying which roots to prioritize at each phase of growth.
When to Use Root Development Sequencing
Use when planning multi-year infrastructure investments or when transitioning between growth stages. Helps avoid the mistake of trying to be world-class in all five categories simultaneously.
How to Apply
1
Years 0-2 (Seedling Stage)
Survival and validation phase
Questions to Ask
- Priority 1: Do you have financial reserves for survival?
- Priority 2: Are you building customer relationships for validation?
- Priority 3: Are you capturing knowledge so you don't lose what you learn?
Outputs
- Defer proprietary capability and cultural foundation until later
2
Years 2-7 (Sapling Stage)
Scaling requires documentation and deeper relationships
Questions to Ask
- Priority 1: Are customer relationships deepening and expanding?
- Priority 2: Are knowledge systems enabling scale?
- Priority 3: Are financial reserves building for growth investments?
Outputs
- Start identifying specialization
- Begin explicit values around 20-50 people
3
Years 7-15 (Tree Stage)
Moat-building time - deepen what makes you unique
Questions to Ask
- Priority 1: Is proprietary capability creating durable advantage?
- Priority 2: Is culture being reinforced as size makes it fragile?
- Priority 3: Are knowledge systems keeping pace with scale?
Outputs
- Maintain financial reserves and relationships while deepening capabilities
4
Years 15+ (Forest Stage)
Prevent ossification while maintaining all systems
Questions to Ask
- Priority 1: Is culture drifting?
- Are all five root systems receiving maintenance?
- Are processes becoming bureaucracy or relationships becoming complacency?
Outputs
- Continuous maintenance plan
- Anti-ossification initiatives