Start Fast: Because It’s Later Than You Think

I recently read about a sundial unearthed in the ruins of Pompeii, etched with the Latin phrase: “Serius est quam cogitas.” 
Rough translation? “It’s later than you think.”

That hit home.

Most of my work today is helping technology companies either launch or get unstuck. And while some startups manage to hit their growth targets on schedule, the vast majority do not. One reason, surprisingly common, is that leaders underestimate how long it takes to see outcomes from changes made to sales and marketing. This leads them to wait too long to get serious—and then they run out of time.

When I served as a Marine Corps infantry officer, we used a method called reverse planning. You start with the objective and the required time of arrival, then work backward to figure out when you must begin. The result? We almost always had more to do than time to do it. But we never debated when to start. The answer was always now. And the pace? As fast as possible.

Backwards planning isn’t exclusive to the military. But it’s still jarring when we hear PE-backed tech leaders talk about “compressed timelines” or “increased operational tempo” while planning like they’ve got the luxury of time.

A few years ago, I spoke with the new CEO of a PE-backed SaaS company. His board had mapped a 36-month exit. His job was to spike revenue to make that happen. Six months in, he finally had consensus: the path forward was to build on their strong SMB base with enterprise sales.

Now with only 30 months left, he had a long list of critical work: 
- Reassess his sales leader 
- Evaluate the team’s readiness for enterprise deals 
- Revamp processes and sales enablement 
- Adjust product packaging 
- Shift messaging 
- Increase brand awareness with larger buyers via events, analysts, and new channels

We walked through his task list. No surprises there.

What did surprise me was his timeline. Most goals were slotted for quarters or years down the road. Some deadlines were TBD. I asked if he needed help. He was confident he had enough internal horsepower and support from his board.

Fifteen months later, I learned he’d been replaced. The enterprise initiative had only recently launched—and hadn't moved the needle yet. A new CEO was brought in to “reassess the path to revenue.”

I can’t say whether the enterprise strategy would’ve worked. What I can say is that I would’ve liked to see it tested early enough to find out.

At VALR Advisors, we help avoid this fate with a template called Start Fast—a framework for the first 100 days of a CEO’s tenure. Whether you’re brand new, or just waking up to a new phase of urgency, the principle holds: every day counts.

Our advisors provide clear plans, pressure-tested evaluations, and an experienced second set of hands so that action starts immediately—not eventually.

Thinking back, I’m reminded of another expression I first heard in a training operation:  

“A good plan executed well will beat a great plan executed poorly—every time.”

And a well-executed plan starts with giving your team enough time to truly execute.

That means starting now. 
Because it’s later than you think.

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Mike Brunnick, CEO