Riding the Lightning

Hypergrowth companies must continuously hire leaders who've already seen the next stage

Carilu Dietrich
How to achieve hypergrowth in your business and career

Riding the Lightning

"Hypergrowth companies go through the stages of growth that would take other companies five years or 10 years. They're going from 10 to 50, they're going from 50 to 100, they're going from 100 to 200. They're jumping. And so they really need to keep hiring 2X and 3X leaders who have seen the next stage of growth, because it's going to be here before you know it." - Carilu Dietrich

What It Is

A hiring philosophy for hypergrowth companies that recognizes a fundamental challenge: when you're growing at 100%+ annually, you compress years of organizational evolution into months. The stage you're at today will be obsolete in 6-12 months.

The solution is to continuously hire leaders who have already experienced your next stage of growth at other companies. These aren't "stretch hires"—they're people for whom your next stage is their comfort zone.

Meanwhile, existing high-performers can be "homegrown" through mentorship, advisors, and exposure to what the next stage looks like.

How It Works

The Core Problem

  • Hypergrowth companies telescope 5-10 years of evolution into 1-2 years
  • A leader who's perfect for a 50-person company may be overwhelmed at 200
  • By the time you notice someone is struggling, you're already behind
  • You can't develop experience with problems you haven't faced yet

The Solution: Two Tracks

Track 1: Hire Ahead

  • Bring in leaders who've already seen your next 2-3X stage
  • They know what processes break, what tools you'll need, what problems emerge
  • They can build infrastructure before you desperately need it
  • They won't be surprised by challenges that feel existential to first-timers

Track 2: Develop Homegrown Leaders

  • Internal high-performers have context and relationships
  • Give them exposure to what great looks like at the next scale
  • Advisors like Carilu help fill the experience gap
  • Create mentorship relationships with people who've been there

Why 2X and 3X Specifically

  • 2X: Someone who's done what you're about to do
  • 3X: Someone who's done what comes after that
  • This gives you runway—you're not hiring just-in-time
  • Avoids the trap of hiring someone who peaks just as you need them most

How to Apply It

  1. Map your stages - Know what headcount, revenue, or complexity milestones trigger new challenges

  2. Identify your upcoming stage - If you're at 100 employees, you're hiring for 200-300

  3. For new hires: screen for experience at your next stage

    • "What did you learn going from X to Y at [previous company]?"
    • "What would you do differently if you did it again?"
    • "What breaks first when you hit [next milestone]?"

  4. For existing leaders: provide scaffolding

    • Connect them with advisors who've seen the next stage
    • Have them build mentor relationships proactively
    • Give them visibility into companies slightly ahead of you

  5. Accept some turnover - Not everyone scales with the company. That's okay.

When to Use It

  • Your company is growing 50%+ annually
  • You're about to enter a new stage (pre-IPO, post-Series B, 100+ employees, etc.)
  • Key leaders are showing signs of being overwhelmed
  • You're building your leadership team for the first time

Warning Signs You're Not Riding the Lightning

  • Every challenge feels existential and unprecedented
  • Leaders are constantly firefighting instead of building
  • Process debt accumulates because "we'll figure it out later"
  • You're hiring reactively after problems emerge, not proactively

Source

  • Guest: Carilu Dietrich
  • Episode: "How to achieve hypergrowth in your business and career"
  • Key Discussion: (00:00:22) and (00:27:12) - Carilu explains why hypergrowth companies need leaders ahead of their stage
  • YouTube: Watch on YouTube

Related Frameworks

Back to Team Building