E.94 - Why Scaling from $2M to $10M Fails (And What to Do Instead) w/Steve Knight

Trying to scale from $2M to $10M ARR - and hitting a wall?This episode is for founders who’ve nailed product-market fit but now face the messy middle: operational chaos, team burnout, flatlining revenue.Steve Knight has done this before- more than once. A client, friend, and one of the sharpest commercial operators I know, Steve is the archetype of the intrapreneur: a strategic operator who thrives inside growth-stage companies. He’s been a founder, an IC, a GM, and a CEO. He’s built teams from scratch, scaled startups to 8-figure revenue, and helped unicorns find commercial clarity.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:How to scale from $2M to $10M ARR without breaking the businessThe 3 strategic pillars Steve uses to unlock growth: Growth, Efficiency, InnovationHow to stop running in circles: “You’re busy. But you’re not moving.”The real reason founder-led sales plateaus, and how to fix itHow Steve balances strategy, people, and operations to drive aligned executionWhy he thrives in chaos, and how to build a self-sustaining GTM engineWho This Is For:Founders scaling between $2M–$10M ARR. Or those on the path to $50M+ through new venuture. GEO and service expansion.VCs and boards hiring for interim or permanent commercial leadershipOperators dealing with too many priorities, no clear ownership, and team fatigueAbout Steve KnightSteve has built, scaled, and led across every stage of the business lifecycle, from high-growth startups to global unicorns:✅ CEO at UIC Digital – led digital transformation for BBC, UEFA, FIFA, NBC, Diageo, and more✅ GM UK & Director, Builder.ai (StudioStore) – scaled a zero-to-£8M business line in 18 months✅ Founder of Productiv Delivery – built and exited a logistics platform for major QSR brands✅ Sales Director at Just Eat, GM UK at Hungryhouse, BD at Delivery Hero, Leadership at Coca-Cola and Britvic✅ 20+ years across GTM, ops, finance, SaaS, logistics, FMCG & digital product✅ NatWest Entrepreneur Finalist, BIMA + Stevie Award-winning CEO, and a founder who’s failed, learned, and come back strongerWhether in a startup, a scaleup, or a unicorn, Steve builds engines that run.As someone who’s worked with Steve directly:He’s the who that knows the how.If you’ve hit the growth wall and don’t want to “just hire another CRO,” this conversation is your roadmap.Connect with Steve on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-knight-61a15540/Find with Richard https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwash/Read Growth Magnet https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7083793079794556928💬 Got a question for Steve or Richard?👉 Like, Subscribe & Share for no-fluff operator content that helps founders actually grow.#HowToScale #StartupGrowth #startups #vc #scaleup #SteveKnight #CommercialLeadership #FounderLedSales #GTMExecution #Intrapreneur #BuilderAI #ticktalent #wmyt #careerstory #careergrowth