What Everest Base Camp Teaches Founders About Scaling | Helen Yu

Send us Fan MailScaling a business has more in common with climbing a mountain than simply aiming for the summit.You must prepare for conditions you cannot predict, adapt when the plan fails, acclimatise before moving higher, listen to experienced guides and make sure the team comes back safely.In this episode, Peter Boolkah speaks with Helen Yu, founder and CEO of Tigon Advisory and author of Ascend Your Start-Up: Conquer the 5 Disconnects to Accelerate Growth.Helen shares the story of trekking to Everest Base Camp to fulfil a promise she made to the grandmother who raised her. Having never previously climbed a mountain, she had to prepare physically and emotionally, research an unfamiliar environment and adapt when equipment failed and other members of the group withdrew.She translates that experience into practical lessons for founders and leadership teams.You’ll discover:How to prepare for events you cannot accurately predictWhy preparation is different from attempting to control everythingHow Helen adapted when her camera failed during the journeyWhy founders must concentrate on attitude, effort and decisionsHow acclimatisation applies to scaling a businessWhy moving forward sometimes requires taking a step backwardsThe importance of listening to experienced advisers and specialistsWhy the strongest person is not always the one who completes the journeyHow customer feedback prevents founders from building in isolationWhy a successful climb includes bringing the team homeThe importance of recognising milestones and expressing gratitudeHow Helen’s five growth disconnects help founders diagnose scaling problemsHelen’s five disconnects are:Product/Market Fit DisconnectMinimum Viable Repeatability DisconnectCustomer Voice DisconnectProcess DisconnectMeasurement DisconnectThis conversation was recorded in 2021, but its lessons about preparation, adaptability, customer insight, disciplined execution and sustainable growth remain highly relevant.GUEST INFORMATIONTigon Advisory: https://tigonadvisory.comHelen Yu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuhelenyuAscend Your Start-Up: https://tigonadvisory.com/book-conquer-the-5-disconnects-to-accelerate-growth/CONNECT WITH PETER BOOLKAHWebsite: https://www.boolkah.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/boolkahInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/pboolkah/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BoolkahX: https://twitter.com/boolkahABOUT PETER BOOLKAHPeter Boolkah is a business coach, author and speaker who has spent more than 20 years helping business owners build stronger, more valuable businesses that do not depend on them for everything.He is the creator of The Hamster Wheel Trap® and author of Your Business Sucks: Build a Business That Works Without Destroying Your Life.Peter works with founders and leadership teams on the issues that ultimately determine whether a business creates freedom or becomes another job: leadership, founder dependency, people, profit, execution, scaling, exit readiness and enterprise value.His approach is direct, practical and built around one simple question:Do you own the business, or does the business own you?Learn more at https://www.boolkah.com