One of the worst parts about getting big is that you can't do as much small stuff.
The small stuff is chaotic, but sometimes it's the coolest.
For example:
Slack was only 3 people when @metalab designed the first version.
2/ But it was a TINY project. I think we lost money on it.
About 2 years ago, we realized that, while MetaLab still works with tons of startups, we were turning away a lot of cool projects due to project size...
3/ We had endless demand from incredible startups and small and medium-sized businesses, but we had to turn most of them away.
So we had an idea...
4/ We decided to create two smaller agencies to help us meet the demand.
🤩 Strategics buy your business because you solve a problem for them or add to their existing offering in some way. Less about the business vs. the problem you solve/team. Your business/brand may disappear. (Public/Private Corps)
2/ 🤗 Holders buy your business and hold it for the longterm, making tweaks (sometimes aggressive, sometimes not) along the way. Your business and team likely continue to exist. (Holding Companies/Conglomerates/Family Offices)
3/ 👩💼 Flippers quickly boost results in the short-term, then re-sell/flip the business within a few years. The changes might be difficult for your team and Your business/brand/team could change radically when it's re-sold. (Traditional Private Equity)