Justin Welsh

The $10M Solopreneur | Helping 100,000+ burned-out corporate professionals build six-figure, one-person online businesses.

Over the last decade, I helped build two companies past a $1B valuation and raise over $300M in venture capital. 

Then, in 2019, I burned out.

So, I decided to walk away from my high-paying executive job.

But, before I could, I had a hypothesis.

I believed building an audience online would be an incredible asset. That attention was the new currency and would play a major part in my success as an entrepreneur.

So, I started building my brand on LinkedIn in early 2019. 

And the results were pretty phenomenal.

In just 6 months, I grew from zero followers to over 20,000.

And on August 1st of 2019, I walked away from my executive role at a fast-growing startup.

Since that day, I've spent my time building a number of one-person Internet businesses.

My results:

→ $10.3M+ in business revenue at a ~86% profit margin.
→ 750K+ people following my journey on LinkedIn
→ 535K+ people following my journey on Twitter
→ 175K+ people read my weekly newsletter
→ 900M+ impressions in the last 6 years

If you want to learn more about how I did this, you can take one of my self-guided courses.

THE CREATOR MBA DIGITAL COURSE

The Creator MBA teaches you frameworks for turning your knowledge and expertise into a quality product that people will buy. Come learn to build a lean, focused, and profitable Internet business.

→ Start watching here: learn.justinwelsh.me/creator-mba

THE OPERATING SYSTEM DIGITAL COURSE

In this 120-minute course, you will learn the complete LinkedIn operating system that I used to grow from 0 to 750K followers and earn $10M+ in income with zero advertisements. Join 40,000+ students and 70+ LinkedIn Top Voices in my LinkedIn course rated 4.98/5 stars.

→ Start watching here: learn.justinwelsh.me/linkedin

THE CONTENT OS DIGITAL COURSE

In this 85-minute course, you will learn the 8-part content creation machine behind 600M+ impressions on LinkedIn and Twitter, and building a 175,000+ subscriber newsletter. If you're looking for systems to produce 10-15 pieces of high-quality written content every single day, this is the course for you.

→ Start watching here: learn.justinwelsh.me/content

Email: support@justinwelsh.me
X: @thejustinwelsh

Founder

Join 75k+ subscribers to the Saturday Solopreneur. Every Saturday morning, you'll get 1 actionable tip on audience and revenue growth for your online business.

Two years is nothing.

And also everything!

I started at 38 with zero followers and absolutely no idea what I was doing.

Two years later?

I reached 100,000 followers and achieved $1 million in revenue.

I never could have predicted that on day one.

In fact...it felt like the complete opposite was bound to happen.

The only reason I kept going was because it was fun and interesting.

Here's what most people don't understand:

You can't see the finish line at the start.
You have to trust the process & enjoy the ride.

Build when no one's buying.
Publish when no one's watching.
Keep going when everyone's quitting.

Because two years is both nothing and everything.

Nothing in the grand scheme of the work you'll do.
Everything in terms of what it can change.

Two years of consistent action?

That's 730 days of compounding.
730 chances to get better.

And at the end of those two years?

You won't recognize your life.

New income. 
New freedom. 
New options.

All because you didn't quit when it felt slow.

So if you're just starting or feeling stuck, remember this:

Two years from now, you'll wish you had started today.

Six years ago, I couldn't imagine this...

$11.4M+ business, 800K+ followers, freedom to spend my time as I please.

All because I was "dumb" enough to keep trying.

Your turn. 

Want the complete system that helped me build it?

Join 7,500+ entrepreneurs here: https://buff.ly/EFNO1Of 

(It's 75% off for early Black Friday)

The $10M Solopreneur | Helping 100,000+ experts turn their experience and expertise into income.

The people winning aren't smarter.

They just never stopped learning.

I see this pattern everywhere.

The person who thinks they know it all?

Stuck at the same level for years.

The person who's constantly curious?

Rising fast.

Here's why:

The world changes every day.

What worked last year doesn't work now.
What you learned in school is already outdated.
What got you here won't get you there.

So you've got two choices:

Keep learning.
Or get left behind.

I'm 44 and I still spend hours every week learning.

Reading books.
Testing new strategies.
Staying curious.

Not because I have to.

Because that's what keeps me relevant.

The moment you think you've figured it all out is the moment you start falling behind.

Your competition isn't standing still.
The market isn't standing still.
Technology isn't standing still.

So why would you?

Stay sharp.
Stay curious.
Stay growing.

That's how you keep rising.

If you want to join over 175,000 online entrepreneurs lifting their audience and business-building skills each week, consider joining my newsletter, The Saturday Solopreneur.

I send out one tip to help you grow your audience and revenue every Saturday.

4 minutes or less guaranteed.

Join free here: https://buff.ly/3ZzyLhl

The real flex?

Being yourself.

Most people build for the image.

The likes.
The followers.
The validation.

They post what sounds impressive.
They share what looks good.
They hide what's real.

But here's what I learned:

Authenticity is the only competitive advantage that can't be copied.

When you're real, people trust you.
When you're honest, people connect with you.
When you're yourself, people buy from you.

I stopped trying to sound like everyone else at 38.

Started writing like I talk.
Sharing what I actually think.
Building in public with all the messy parts.

That's what grew my audience to 800K.

Not by being impressive.

By being real.

The flex isn't the image you project.

It's the courage to be yourself when it's easier to fake it.

That's the foundation of everything I teach.

The Creator MBA shows you how to turn who you actually are into a business people truly want to buy from.

111 lessons on building an authentic brand that attracts, connects, and converts.

It's how I turned my experience, expertise, and personality into an 8-figure business.

Zero fakeness required.

It's 75% off for early Black Friday: https://buff.ly/JZMm8gU

(ending soon)

Be yourself.
Build from there.

You're not behind.

You're still becoming.

I see people in their 20s panicking because they haven't "made it" yet.

People in their 30s thinking they missed their chance.

People in their 40s believing it's too late.

But here's the truth:

Life doesn't follow a timeline.

- Lost at 22.
- Broke at 28.
- Unsure at 31.
- Rising at 35.
- Entrepreneur at 38.
- Building a dream life at 44.

There's no deadline for success.

I was 38 when I started my business.

Burned out. Starting from scratch. No clue what I was doing.

By 44, I built a $10M+ business.

Not because I was ahead.

Because I trusted the process and kept moving.

Most people quit because they compare their chapter 3 to someone else's chapter 20.

But your story is yours.

Stop rushing.
Stop comparing.
Just keep building.

Greatness isn't rushed.

It's earned one day at a time.

This is exactly why I built The Creator MBA.

111 lessons showing you how to turn "starting over" into "taking over."

Everything I know about becoming an entrepreneur:

- Building an audience
- Choosing a profitable niche
- Creating your first offer
- Making it irresistable

It's 75% off for early Black Friday: https://buff.ly/JZMm8gU

(ending soon...)

Your timeline is perfect.
Now go build something on it.

Stay locked in.

No time for drama.
No time for gossip.
No time for comparisons.

Just you and your progress.

Most people waste energy on things that don't matter.

Scrolling.
Complaining.
Watching what everyone else is doing.

But the people who win?

They're too busy building.

I learned this the hard way.

When I was stuck, I was distracted.
When I was growing, I was locked in.

The difference wasn't talent.

It was focus.

Discipline isn't about doing more.

It's about eliminating everything that doesn't move you forward.

Your growth demands your full attention.

Everything else is noise.

Every Saturday morning, I send one focused email to 175,000+ entrepreneurs.

No fluff. No filler. Just one actionable idea to help you build.

It takes 4 minutes to read.

It's free.

And it's designed to keep you locked in while everyone else gets distracted.

Join here: https://buff.ly/VzhEczR

Stay focused.

Keep building.

Experience is brutal.

It gives you the test first.
Then the lesson.

You launch and fail.
Then you learn why.

You post and get ignored.
Then you learn what works.

You build and hear crickets.
Then you learn what people actually want.

There's no shortcut around this.

Nothing replaces experience.
No mentor can do it for you.
No amount of planning prevents it.

You have to DO it.
You have to LIVE it.

I failed for years before I figured out what worked.

Lost money on bad ideas.
Built things nobody wanted.
Wasted time on the wrong strategies.

But every failure taught me something I couldn't learn any other way.

That's how you get good.

Not by avoiding mistakes.
By making them faster and learning from them.

The test comes first.
The lesson comes after.
That's the deal.

I finally recorded 111 (hard-earned) lessons on building an audience and business from scratch, so that you don't have to go through as many of them.

- Choosing a profitable idea
- Separating yourself from the pack
- Using content marketing to guide people
- Funnel building + conversion optimization
- Scaling from 5 to 6 to 7-figures over the years

75% off today for early Black Friday.

Start watching here: https://buff.ly/JZMm8gU

Everyone says pick two.

Let's build all three!

If you build it right, you can:

1) Make a lot of money
2) Help a lot of people
3) Have a lot of fun

Most people think they need to choose.

Help people, but stay broke.
Make money, but hate the work.
Have fun, but build nothing meaningful.

I believed that for years.

Spent 15 years making great money in corporate.

But I wasn't helping many people.

And I definitely wasn't having as much fun.

Then at 38, I asked:

What if I could have all three?

People said I was naive.

I ignored them.

Instead, I built a business that:

• Teaches people to build businesses (help)
• Has made over $11.6M in revenue (money)
• Let's me work when I want from where I want (fun)

Turns out, you can have all three.

You just have to build it intentionally.

Find something you're good at.
Package it so people will pay for it.
Build it in a way that doesn't consume your life.

Most people fail because they optimize for one and ignore the other two.

But you can have all three.

The Creator MBA shows you exactly how.

111 lessons on building a business that makes real money, helps real people, and doesn't steal your life in the process. 

8,000+ students are already inside making it happen.

Black Friday ends in 16 hours.

After midnight tonight, the 75% discount disappears forever.

Get in now: https://buff.ly/elfDofH

Stop choosing between money, impact, and freedom.

Build all three.

You've got 16 hours left at this price.

Slow progress beats no progress.

Every time.

Most people quit right before it works.

They post for 30 days. No traction.
They build for 90 days. No revenue.
They show up for 6 months. Nothing.

So they stop.

And they never know how close they were.

Because results don't show up on schedule.

They show up after consistency.

I posted on LinkedIn for 8 months before anything happened.

8 months of doubt.
8 months of crickets.
8 months of "will this work?"

Then it clicked.

Not overnight. Not all at once.

But it happened.

And it only happened because I didn't quit.

The people who succeed aren't the most talented.

They're the ones who stayed in the game long enough to win.

If you're ready to understand how to use data and analytics to grow on LinkedIn, join 45,000+ students (including 200+ LinkedIn Top Voices) inside of the LinkedIn Operating System to shortcut the game and (finally) grow.

Start here: https://buff.ly/8weY0jL

It won't happen overnight.

But it will happen if you follow this plan.

The goal is no more meaningless work.

Let me explain:

I spent 16 years in corporate.

Endless meetings about meetings.
Projects that went nowhere.
Tasks that didn't matter.
Work that felt hollow.

I wasn't tired of working. I was tired of working on things that didn't matter.

Then I left and built my own thing.

And guess what? Sometimes I work MORE now than I ever did.

But it doesn't feel like work.

Because I own it.
Because it matters.
Because I decide what gets my time.

That's the difference.

Meaningful work energizes you.
Meaningless work drains you.

Most people aren't looking to retire and do nothing. They just want their effort to count for something.

So if you're exhausted, ask yourself:

Am I tired of working?
Or am I just tired of THIS work?

The answer changes everything.

I built The Creator MBA to show you exactly how I made that shift. 

111 lessons on building an audience, creating products people want, and replacing your corporate income with work that actually matters. 

This is the complete system I used to go from burned-out employee to 8-figure business owner working on my own terms.

It's 75% off for early Black Friday. 

Watch it now: https://buff.ly/JZMm8gU

This is your chance to build something meaningful.

You can't build a one-person business.

People won't pay for your work.

Making it as a creator is impossible...

How wrong they were.

Here's what I've learned over 6 years:

The loudest critics are the most afraid.
The biggest skeptics are the least accomplished.
The harshest words come from those who never tried.

The truth?

Growth forces people to question their own choices.
Achievement challenges their limiting beliefs.
Success makes others uncomfortable.

So they try to stop you.

Not because you can't.

But because they're scared you WILL.

I built my business anyway.

You should, too.

Want the exact playbook?

The Creator MBA is a 111-lesson course on building a profitable one-person business from scratch.

Every framework I used to go from $0 to $11.5M in revenue.
Every system that turned my ideas into paying customers.
Every strategy that actually worked (and what didn't).

This is the course that 8,000+ students used to replace their income, quit their jobs, and build freedom on their terms.

Right now it's 75% off for early Black Friday: https://buff.ly/JZMm8gU

But this price will disappear soon.

After that, it goes back to full price.

Time to prove the critics wrong...

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Building a portfolio of one-person businesses to $5M+ in revenue.

You can be rich and miserable.

Or rich and present.

Choose wisely.

I know people making seven figures who are absolutely miserable.

Always working.
Always stressed.
Always chasing the next milestone.

They got the money.

But they lost everything else in the process.

Here's what nobody tells you about success:

More money doesn't automatically mean more freedom.

In fact, it usually means the opposite.

More clients.
More complexity.
More problems to solve.

Unless you build it differently from the start.

I spent years grinding before I figured this out.

Working weekends.
Saying yes to everything.
Constantly "on."

And you know what I realized?

The hustle culture BS is just that. BS.

You don't need to work more.
You need to work smarter.

So I rebuilt everything around systems, not hustle.

Now I work 4-6 hours a day.
Take weekends off.
Actually enjoy what I've built.

And the business? Still grows.

Because I stopped confusing activity with progress.

Don't sacrifice your life for your business.

Build your business around your life instead.

Want to build a business that runs without running you into the ground?

I documented the 111 exact systems that let me work half the hours while growing to $10M+.

7,000+ entrepreneurs are already using it: https://buff.ly/G7e899d

Nobody takes you seriously yet. 

That's your advantage.

Because tomorrow's multi-millionaires are today's one-person businesses that nobody's taking seriously yet.

The consultant at their kitchen table.
The creator with 2,500 followers.
The freelancer who "needs a real job."

I've seen this movie before:

2018: "Don't do business on LinkedIn."
2020: "That business isn't sustainable."
2022: "One-person businesses can't scale."

Meanwhile, these "fake" businesses are doing:

• $50K months with no team
• $1M years with no office
• $10M lifetimes with no investors

The pattern never changes:

Year 1: "That's cute."
Year 3: "That's lucky."
Year 5: "How did you do that?"

We're not building something they recognize.

No org charts.
No pitch decks.
Just ridiculous margins.

By the time they take you seriously, you'll be too expensive to hire.

I went from "mid-life crisis" to $10.5M.

While they laughed and doubted.

Your "little" business isn't little.
It's early.

Want to be tomorrow's success story here on LinkedIn?

Steal the playbook → https://buff.ly/cjolSEv 

Let them laugh.

You'll be too busy building to care.

Everyone's worried about looking stupid.

Meanwhile, stupid people are getting rich.

They're launching "dumb" ideas.
Building "basic" businesses.
Charging "crazy" prices.

While you're worried about looking silly...

Remember this:

That executive you're trying to impress?

She forgot your name already.

That peer you're competing with?

He's too worried about his own image.

That random connection judging your pivot?

They'll scroll past you in under a second.

We spend decades performing for an audience that doesn't exist.

• Crafting the perfect career story
• Following the "right" path
• Playing it safe to look smart

But the truth is, everyone's too busy worrying about their own show to watch yours.

This isn't depressing.

It's freedom.

Pure, unlimited, life-changing freedom.

Because once you accept that nobody's watching, you can finally:

Build the business everyone said was silly.
Share the story you've been hiding.
Make the pivot that scares you.
Charge what you're actually worth.

Stop being the person you think they want.
Start being the person you actually are.

The market rewards authenticity, not approval.

I learned this the hard way, and it's exactly why I turned sharing my real story on LinkedIn into an 8-figure business.

Want to stop performing and start building something real on LinkedIn?

I broke down the exact system that took me from zero to 800K+ followers by just being myself.

See how it works: https://buff.ly/BhszdAa

What would you create today if you knew nobody cared?

Talk about and build that.

Every change in my life starts the same.

Fear.

Quitting my job? Terrifying.
Moving to the mountains? Uncomfortable.
Starting my business? Felt impossible.

But fear isn't a stop sign.

It's an arrow.

The phone call you don't want to make.
The idea that won't leave you alone.
The move that feels risky.

They're not obstacles.

They're invitations.

So I follow a simple rule:

If something makes me nervous, I lean in.

Not because I like fear. I don't.

But because I know what's on the other side.

Growth.
Freedom.
The life I actually want.

What you resist gets bigger.
What you confront gets smaller.

I spent 15 years avoiding the thing that scared me most.

Starting my own business.

Then I finally did it.

And it changed everything.

Now when fear shows up, I don't run from it.

I follow it.

What's scaring you right now?

Maybe that's exactly where you need to go next.

Starting my business was terrifying.

But staying stuck was worse.

The Creator MBA is everything I learned going from scared corporate employee to $10M+ business owner.

111 lessons. No fluff. Just the roadmap I wish I had when fear was the only thing standing in my way.

It's 75% off for Black Friday: https://buff.ly/JZMm8gU 

(ending in 3 days...)

Your future is on the other side of that fear.

Go get it.

Justin Welsh - The $10M Solopreneur | Helping 100,000+ burned-out corporate professionals build six-figure, one-person online businesses. | LinkedIn

Money isn't the goal.

It's the exit strategy.

Exit from meetings that waste your time.
Exit from bosses who don't value you.
Exit from work that drains your soul.

Most people get this backwards.

They chase money for money's sake.

I'm not here to judge, but you can use it differently.

Money can be permission to say NO.

No to toxic clients.
No to Sunday scaries.
No to anything that doesn't align with your values.

I didn't build a business to buy things.

I built it to buy options.

The option to walk away.
The option to choose better.
The option to live on my terms.

When you can walk out of any room, any deal, any situation...

That's leverage.

Not the balance in your account.
But the freedom to use it as your escape route.

Make money.
Not to impress people.
But to never be impressed by the wrong opportunities again.

Want to build your own exit strategy?

I've shown 55,000+ people how to create income that gives them options through my systems and frameworks.

Now, I'm sharing all of them for 60% to 75% off for this early Black Friday.

Check out the deals here: https://buff.ly/YaSqpak

Your exit is waiting.

Time to go for it.

You think you're playing it safe.

You're not.

The longer you avoid risk, the riskier your life becomes.

Think about it:

The "safe" job that makes you irrelevant.
The business you don't start.
The post you don't publish.

Every day you play it safe, the world moves without you.

Your skills get stale.
Your ideas stay hidden.
Your network stays small.

Then one day, you realize the "safe" choice was the riskiest thing you've ever done.

I see this with people who want to build online but never start.

They wait to feel credible.
They wait for more to say.
They wait for the perfect post.

Meanwhile, people with half their experience are building audiences and creating opportunities.

The risk isn't publishing and failing.

The risk is staying invisible.

I took the risk six years ago.
Started posting with no idea what I was doing.

It felt uncomfortable.

But staying quiet? That was actually risky.

If you're ready to start building visibility, the LinkedIn Operating System gives you the exact playbook. 

45,000+ students, including over 200 LinkedIn Top Voices, used it to go from undiscovered to growing and monetizing their LinkedIn: https://buff.ly/ALO2j0P

Remember:

The riskiest thing you can do is never start.

You'll never feel ready.

So start anyway.

Everyone waits for the perfect moment.

The right skills.
The perfect plan.
Complete confidence.

But here's the truth:

You start.
You suck.
You figure it out.
You get better.

That's how it works.

I wasn't ready when I quit my job.

I wasn't ready when I posted my first piece of content.

I wasn't ready when I launched my first product.

But I did it anyway.

And that's what made all the difference.

Waiting for ready is just another word for never starting.

The people who win aren't more prepared.

They just move faster.

And here's what helps you move faster:

A proven system for building your audience.
A content strategy that doesn't require perfection.
A business framework you can launch before you're ready.

That's what turns messy action into real results.

The Creator MBA is that system.

19111 lessons showing you how to go from zero audience to real income. 

Build while you work. Launch before you're ready. Scale as you learn.

8,000+ students are already inside making it happen.

And you've got 25 hours left to grab it at 75% off.

Black Friday ends Monday night. 
After that, this price is gone forever.

Get it here: https://buff.ly/elfDofH

Stop waiting to feel ready.
Start building today.

Do'ers vs. dreamers.

It's not talent or connections.

Do'ers ship before they're ready.
Dreamers wait for the "perfect" moment.

I've watched countless people with million-dollar ideas do absolutely nothing with them.

They talk about it nonstop.
They work on the concept forever.
They wait for "just one more thing" to fall into place.

Meanwhile, someone with half the talent and 25% of the vision launches something mediocre.

And wins.

Because done beats perfect every single time.

The market doesn't reward the best idea.

It rewards the best execution.

I didn't have the perfect product when I started.

But I shipped it anyway.

And that imperfect action turned into an eight-figure business over 6 years.

If you're tired of sitting on your expertise while others are out there building and earning, I recorded a complete behind-the-scenes class on creating, launching, and scaling your idea.

It's called The Creator MBA, and it shows you exactly how to execute.

Learn to package your knowledge, create products that sell, and launch without waiting for perfection.

8,000+ online entrepreneurs have used it to stop planning and start profiting.

Right now it's 75% off for Black Friday.

Get it here: https://buff.ly/EFNO1Of 

Stop dreaming. 
Start shipping.

Nobody wants to hear this. But it's true.

Success is boring.

It's not the big breakthrough.
Not the viral moment.
Not the genius strategy.

It's showing up. Again, and again, and again.

Even when nothing's working.

I started my business by writing on LinkedIn for 6 months before anything happened.

Zero traction.
No one cared.
Barely any engagement.

But I kept going.

Not because I'm special. Because I knew the only way to lose was to stop.

Most people quit right before it works.

They publish for a few weeks.
See no results.
Convince themselves it's not worth it.

Then they watch someone else blow up and think, "They got lucky."

No. They just outlasted you.

That's the game!

Patience isn't passive. It's active endurance.

Doing the work when it doesn't feel like it's working.
Showing up when no one's watching.
Trusting the process when you can't see progress.

That's how you win.

Not with one big move. With a thousand small ones.

So if you're frustrated because things aren't moving fast enough...

Good. That means you're still in it.

Stay patient. Keep moving.

The people who win are just the ones who refused to quit.

I documented every single system I used to stay consistent for 2,281 days straight. 

The Creator MBA is 111 lessons showing you exactly how to build an audience from zero, create content that compounds, and turn consistency into an 8-figure business. 

This is how you go from invisible to inevitable.

It's 75% off for early Black Friday. 

Stop waiting for the breakthrough. 

Start building it with a plan: https://buff.ly/JZMm8gU

Everything is easy when the crowd's cheering.

But the real work? 

That happens in silence.

I remember the looks.

Friends asking "are you okay?"
Family mentioning job openings.
Posts with 3 likes.

Those moments? That's where growth happens.

I wrote for 8 months to crickets.

A few likes.
No comments.
Just me wondering if anyone would ever care.

That's where most people quit.

But after a year of showing up anyway, something clicked.

The compound effect kicked in.

That silence switched into an 8-figure business.

The best decision I made? Not stopping when it made no sense to continue.

If you're in that quiet phase right now, feeling invisible...keep going.

I documented the entire process of going from crickets to $11.7M+ over six years.

The Creator MBA is 111 lessons on how to build an audience and business even when nobody's watching. 

The systems that work when it feels like nothing is working.

It's 75% off for 4 more days: https://buff.ly/JZMm8gU

The world needs what you're building. 

They just don't know it yet.

2X Exits | Built $MM Businesses over 20 years | CEO Coach | Helping founders grow revenue, profit and valuation

20 years ago, if someone had told me that I would run multiple, multi-million dollar companies, simultaneously, I would have laughed. But here I am.

Over the last 2 decades, I’ve built 2 multi-million-dollar ARR companies and led them to successful exits.

Was it easy? Hell, no.

My transition from an Engineer to an Entrepreneur was hard. 
Being good at our craft and good in business are 2 very different things.

Tejora Technologies was my flagship; I built it to over 200 employees and 30+ clients across the US, UAE, and India, and profitably exited in 2022.

Our systems and strategies enabled me to unlock its value when I was ready to exit. 
I could secure a full buyout and walk away in 3 months because it was built to be cash-rich and founder-free.

In 2007, while growing Tejora, launched Elixir Fitness, diving headfirst into the retail sector. Double the challenges and double the learning. 
 
Successfully exited Elixir Fitness in 2012 to focus fully on Tejora. 
Biggest takeaway? Building and selling a business is an art and a science.

Now, in my 3rd venture —I help founders do the same:

Build businesses that generate profit — and become buyer/investor-ready.

Wealth creation is at the center of everything I do.

Working together, we will: 
- Scale the business in ways that increase enterprise value
- Build a team that can run without you
- Create clarity that successors can trust, and buyers will pay for.

After all, businesses aren’t sold. They’re bought.

So —here are 4 ways I can help you build an Exit Ready business.

1) CEO Coaching & Advisory: 
Work with me 1:1 to increase revenue/profit, maximize valuation, and make your business attractive to buyers or successors.

Book a Free Clarity Call: https://topmate.io/surabhishenoy/1314664

2) Subscribe to My Newsletter — CEO Mastery
Every Thursday, I share actionable strategies on scaling and valuation. This is my best content — and it’s free.

Subscribe Now: https://surabhishenoy.com/newsletter-subscribe/

3) Take My Course — Founder’s Freedom Blueprint
The first condition of any exit? Your business must run without you.
FFB helps you get there — with systems, delegation, and founder freedom.

Get it here: learn.surabhishenoy.com

4) Follow me here on LinkedIn for tips throughout the week.

To know more about me and my story, please visit: https://surabhishenoy.com/from-engineer-to-ceo-to-ceo-coach/

Thank you for being here,

Best, 
Surabhi

Surabhi Shenoy

Control felt safe.

Until it didn’t.

For years, I called it “being a hands-on founder.”
First in.
Last out.
Every call.
Every decision.

It looked like commitment.
But it was 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳.

Fear of dropping the ball.
Fear of being judged.
Fear that if I let go, everything would fall apart.

My wake-up moment came after yet another 15hr day.
I wasn’t leading. I was gripping.

And gripping is not growth. It’s survival.

So I changed my operating style.
I delegated from clarity, not panic.
I built systems instead of heroics.
I worked from design, not fear.

That shift didn’t just change my companies.
It changed me.

If this hit home, you’ll love my newsletter — 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆.

2300+ ambitious Founders read it every week.

Join here: https://lnkd.in/d5BWB_Cx

Every Thursday, get 1 sharp one sharp, actionable system to help you 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.

🎁 BONUS: Read To Lead: 30 Books Every Founder Must Read.

And if you’re still reading this…
maybe it’s time to loosen the grip a little.

Your business doesn’t grow because you hold on harder.
It grows because you design it to.

In my Tech company, salaries were our biggest expense.

Every month, I would stare at the P&L and think:
“If we can optimize this one line…our entire bottom line will improve.”

But how do you do that
- when salaries only go up,
- talent is scarce,
- and clients want better outcomes at lower cost?

Here’s what we did...
(Save this if you’re scaling a services business in 2026)

12 levers to optimize your salary costs:

1. 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗳𝘆 every role as revenue‑producing, revenue‑enabling, or overhead, and review the mix quarterly.

2. 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 cost per engineer per month, per billable day, and per key output (story point, feature, project).

3. 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 utilization, blended rate, and gross margin for each team and major client, not just at company level.

4. 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 clear salary bands and promotion criteria so raises follow level changes, not tenure.

5. 𝗖𝗮𝗽 % of revenue for non-billable roles, and require a business case to exceed it.

6. 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 every engagement bottom up (fully loaded cost + target margin) and enforce hard floor.

7. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝘇𝗲 delivery processes, templates, and technical patterns to juniorize.

8. 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲 a hiring / backfill justification that shows impact on revenue, margin, or a specific constraint being relieved.

9. 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 the fully loaded cost of attrition (recruiting, ramp, discounts, quality risk) and use it in leadership decisions.

10. 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 in a small set of retention levers (growth paths, 1:1s, coaching, sane workload) that are cheaper than constant hiring.

11. 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 a simple monthly cost and margin dashboard to your leadership team and discuss variances and corrective actions.

12. 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 team leads on unit economics and empower them to make local decisions that protect utilization and margins.

Cost control is not frugality.
It’s financial leadership.

The founders who win aren’t the ones who spend less.
They’re the ones who spend deliberately.

If this resonated, then repost. 
Someone in your network needs to start controlling costs today.

And if you want systems like this every week, subscribe to 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿.

2400+ founders already read it. It’s free.

🔗 Click “View my newsletter” above 👆

#CEOMastery #Founders #CostControl

Black-and-white image of Andrew Carnegie sitting with folded hands. Large quote on the left reads: “Control your costs. Control your costs. Control your costs. Gentlemen, control your costs.” The bottom banner shows Surabhi Shenoy’s photo, a call to subscribe to CEO Mastery, and a QR code.

He didn’t say, “5GB MP3 player.”

He said, “1000 songs in your pocket.”

That line was Steve Jobs at his best, turning tech into pure feeling.
Not a slogan.

A masterclass in clarity.

Steve Jobs didn’t describe what it was.
He described what it meant.

You could see it.
You could feel it.
You got it instantly.

That’s the power of sticky ideas.
And that’s what 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸 teaches.

A great idea isn’t enough.
It has to spread.
It has to stay.

The Heath brothers found 6 traits behind ideas that stick:
SUCCES (yes, one S)

1. Simple
2. Unexpected
3. Concrete
4. Credible
5. Emotional
6. Story-driven

Most founders miss this.
They sound smart... but forget to make it memorable.

They say:
“We optimize digital workflows for operational scalability.”

When they could say:
“We cut delivery time in half, no extra hires.”

Or:
“We build AI-driven marketing automation systems.”

Instead of:
“We help close 30% more leads, without bigger ad spend.”

Or even:
“We provide leadership coaching.”

Instead of:
“We help leaders escape daily firefighting so that they can focus on growing business.”

See the difference?

One sounds impressive.
The other makes an impression.

If people can’t picture it, they won’t remember it.
And if they don’t remember it, it never happened.

I put together a cheatsheet:
𝟲 𝗥𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸 👇
Built for founders who want their message to spread... to customers, teams, and investors.

Save it.
Use it to clarify your pitch.
Or get your team’s buy-in without the blank stares.

-- 

If you enjoyed this post, 
You’ll love my newsletter: 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 

2300+ ambitious Founders read it every week.

Want in?

🔗 Click "𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿" above 👆
📲 Or scan the QR code in the cheatsheet 👇

Surabhi Shenoy, CEO Coach, shares ‘6 Rules to Make Your Ideas Stick,’ inspired by Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath. The visual breaks down the SUCCES framework — Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, and Story-driven — with examples for founders on how to make their message memorable. Designed for entrepreneurs who want to communicate clearly with customers, teams, and investors. Promotes the CEO Mastery newsletter.

Everyone’s chasing speed. 
Very few chase clarity.

But that’s what separates the frantic from the focused.

Charlie Munger knew this decades ago. 

Speed without clarity creates rework.
Decisiveness without reflection creates waste.

He built a billion-dollar clarity by thinking 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 than everyone else— and acting 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 once he knew what mattered.

Last week’s 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 was the concluding part.
I unpacked the final 5 filters from Charlie's playbook:

- How to stay independent when the noise rises.
- How to stay humble when you’re winning.
- How to stay adaptive when everything shifts.

Read it all here: https://lnkd.in/d68wNYVQ

If your decisions feel heavy, or your team keeps “almost” aligning, this edition will hit home.

And if you haven’t yet, 
Subscribe to CEO Mastery now.

2300+ founders read it every week. 

Every Thursday, get 1 sharp, actionable system to increase your revenue, profit, and valuation.

🔗 Click “View my newsletter” above 👆

Surabhi Shenoy, CEO Coach, shares ‘Charlie Munger’s 10 Mental Filters for Founders,’ a framework on decision-making clarity for business leaders. The visual outlines ten principles — Risk, Preparation, Allocation, Patience, Focus, Independence, Intellectual Humility, Analytic Rigor, Decisiveness, and Change — to help founders think slowly, act wisely, and scale sustainably. Designed for entrepreneurs who value clarity over speed and want systems that compound results. Promotes the CEO Mastery newsletter by Surabhi Shenoy.

A $1 million contract.

I knew I had just one shot.

Win it, we leapfrog.
Lose it, we slow down. 

Being an engineer, I was strong technically.
But I wasn’t trained in negotiation.
Or persuasion.
Or high-stakes selling.

I had one week to prepare.
So I turned to the place I always turn when I’m under pressure.

A book.

I picked up 𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.
One lesson hit me hard: people decide with emotion first.

So I rebuilt my entire pitch.
I focused less on features.
More on the 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘺.
The 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.
The 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 behind their decision.

That shift changed the whole room.
And I walked out with the $1 million deal — giving away a few things in kind. 𝘏𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘺.

That $1M deal was just one moment. 
But moments like that stack. 

And almost all of them were shaped by ideas I learned from books.

Books built me. 
They guided me through tough decisions, stressful leadership calls, and every major transition in my career and life.

So I put together my top 30 books...
and the exact business takeaways I’ve applied from each one.

A curated list.
Clear insights.
Real-world applications a founder can use today.

And if you want to build this kind of thinking into your 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘩𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘮, 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆. 

It’s the newsletter I wish existed when I was scaling my first company — one practical mental model, system, or strategy every Thursday.

Subscribe now: https://lnkd.in/d5BWB_Cx

I will send the "𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥" guide along with the next edition of CEO Mastery.

The kind of founder you become depends on the ideas you feed your mind. 

Start today 🚀

♻️ Repost this to help a fellow founder.
🔔 Follow Surabhi Shenoy for daily CEO insights

“Surabhi Shenoy, CEO Coach, introduces Read to Lead — a curated guide of 30 books every founder must read. The animated GIF shows a phone screen and bold text ‘READ TO LEAD,’ inviting founders to sign up for the free guide via QR code. The resource highlights 30 books and 30 business lessons with real-world takeaways that helped Surabhi scale multiple companies. Promotes the CEO Mastery newsletter and founder learning resources.

65% of all startups fail for one reason.

Not because the idea was weak.
Because the founders fight.

Most founders don’t see it early.
The warning signs are quiet.
The damage shows up years later.

I’ve studied partnerships that lasted decades and partnerships that collapsed under pressure.

The gap is clear.

Strong co-founders pass five simple filters long before they build together.

Here are the five that matter:

1/ 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘁 – steady under stress
2/ 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 – calm when things break
3/ 𝗘𝗴𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 – low drama, high clarity
4/ 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 – same pace, same ambition
5/ 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 – real commitment, real stakes

Founders who pass these filters save years of conflict.
They protect trust, decisions, and momentum.

And these filters show you who someone really is before equity ties you together.

If you’re choosing a co-founder, this week’s newsletter breaks each filter down so you can build safer and scale smoothly.

Read it here > https://lnkd.in/dMX5QUZh

To get more such in-depth insights, subscribe to CEO Mastery now.

2400+ founders read it every week. 

Every Thursday, get 1 sharp, actionable system to increase your revenue, profit, and valuation.

🔗 Click “View my newsletter” above 👆

In last week's CEO Mastery Newsletter, I shared how to choose a co-founder.

Got a reply, “I already got one… it’s not working.”

This is the part most founders never prepare for.

In the early years, urgency holds everything together.
You move fast.
You skip hard talks.
You assume alignment because nothing feels broken.

Then the business grows.
Life grows.
And the cracks you ignored start widening.
Decisions feel heavier.
Small tensions linger longer.
You sense the drift before you can name it.

Here’s the part we rarely admit:
Strong partnerships don’t stay strong by luck.
Something underneath keeps them steady as things get more complex.

in tomorrow's CEO Mastery edition,
I'll share the secret I learned from working with a co-founder for over 20 years.

If you build with a co-founder or want to get one, 
you don’t want to miss this one.

𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝟰 𝗣𝗠 𝗗𝘂𝗯𝗮𝗶 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲.

2400+ ambitious Founders read it every week.

Every Thursday, you will get 1 sharp, actionable system to:
✔️ Grow revenue
✔️ Maximize profit
✔️ Increase valuation
✔️ Reduce founder dependency

Want in?

🔗 Click "𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿" above 👆
📲 Or scan the QR code in the cheatsheet 👇

#CEOMastery #FounderWisdom  #CoFounderDynamics

Graphic teaser for CEO Mastery newsletter by Surabhi Shenoy. Text reads: ‘How to REALLY work with a co-founder to achieve long-term success. I’ll unpack it in tomorrow’s CEO Mastery.’ Includes QR code to subscribe. Light beige background with bold blue and red text.

Critics don’t build companies.

Builders do. Even when they fall.

This clip from Brené Brown’s talk on courage reminded me of what I see in every founder I work with…

Every founder wants to grow.
But growth needs risk.
And risk requires courage.

Not the loud kind.
But the quiet kind.

Like making a hard call with incomplete data.
Like hiring for potential, not pedigree.
Like holding the line when investors disagree.

You’ll never feel “ready” for these.
But the point isn’t to be ready.

The point is to be willing.

Willing to step in.
Willing to get it wrong.
Willing to lead, anyway.

That’s where real growth begins.
Not in the comfort of knowing.
But in the courage to act.

Because critics write opinions.
But builders write history.

Found this valuable? 
♻️ Repost to your network 
🔔 Follow @𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗵𝗶 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘆 for more CEO insights 

-- 

👉 Want to become the CEO your growing business deserves?

📥 Subscribe to CEO Mastery —
My weekly newsletter, trusted by 2300+ founders. 

Every Thursday, get 1 sharp, actionable system to increase your revenue, profit, and valuation.

🔗 Click “View my newsletter” above 👆

#LeadershipCourage #FounderMindset #BreneBrown #CourageToLead

You don’t need to do more.

You need to be 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥.

A founder I coached had it all.
Strong pipeline. Smart team. Big goals.

But his leadership team?
They got fragments of his attention while he drowned in busywork.

We worked through the 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁 together. 

Here’s what changed in just 6 weeks:
→ Cut 12 hours/week from his calendar 
→ Delegated 3 major workflows 
→ Built a 90-day plan that team could execute confidently

The results were transformational.

The company finally had a 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘊𝘌𝘖 again.
Decisions moved swifter.
Momentum returned.

Freedom isn’t about doing less. 
It’s about being fully available for the work 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 can do.

🔥 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹:
𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝟱𝟬% 𝗼𝗳𝗳. 

Get it here: https://lnkd.in/duAd48XD

This is a 5-module, 60-minute video course that you can apply instantly.

It's time to take the first step toward a calmer, more focused way of leading. 

And if this resonated, please repost ♻️
Some leader in your network needs this reminder today. 

Question for you: 
If you got 10 hours back this week, where would you put them — clients, strategy, sales, hiring, or your team? ⏱️

Black Friday Sale visual promoting Surabhi Shenoy’s Founder’s Freedom Blueprint online course. The text reads: ‘Founder’s Freedom Blueprint — Step out of firefighting, into focused leadership. 50% OFF.’ The image includes a QR code linking to learn.surabhishenoy.com. The program teaches founders how to delegate, build leadership systems, and regain focus using Surabhi Shenoy’s 5-module, 60-minute framework for freedom and growth.

Ever replayed a conversation in your head… 
wishing you’d said what you really meant?

Most people don’t avoid difficult conversations because they’re weak. 

They avoid them because no one taught them 𝘩𝘰𝘸 to have them.

A managing partner I coached kept clashing with her co-founder. 

Every big discussion ended the same way: she went silent. 
Not from agreement… 
but from fear of saying it wrong.

Turns out she didn’t need courage. 
She needed tools.

When she learned how to structure the conversation,
separate facts from stories,
and make it safe to speak,
she finally said what she’d held in for years.

Founder conflicts rarely explode overnight. 
They build—one unsaid thing at a time.

That’s why 𝘊𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 is powerful.

When stakes rise and emotions spike, people default to silence or aggression. 
Both break trust. Both slow growth.

The solution isn’t bravery. It’s skill.

Here are eight steps to speak the truth without drama.

1. Start with Heart: know what you want.
2. Learn to Look: spot silence or pressure.
3. Make It Safe: use contrast and purpose.
4. Master Your Stories: separate facts from your tale.
5. STATE Your Path: facts → view → invite.
6. Explore Their Path: use AMPP to draw them out.
7. Move to Action: agree on next steps.
8. End with Alignment: leave with shared clarity.

Simple when you read them.
Transformative when you apply them.

📌 𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘁: 𝟴 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.

Save it and share it with your team.

Use it to prevent small issues from becoming big problems.

Found this valuable? 
♻️ Repost to your network 
🔔 Follow Surabhi Shenoy for daily CEO insights 

-- 

Want to become the CEO your growing business deserves? 

📥 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 —
My weekly newsletter, trusted by 2400+ founders. 

Every Thursday, get 1 sharp, actionable system to help you move from Stuck to Scaling. 

I write from my personal experience of building, scaling, and exiting 2 MM$ businesses and now coaching founders 1:1.

🔗 Click “View my newsletter” above 👆

Surabhi Shenoy, CEO Coach and 2X founder, shares ‘8 Steps to Master Difficult Conversations’ — a framework inspired by the book Crucial Conversations. The visual outlines how leaders can communicate with clarity and safety: 1) Start with Heart, 2) Learn to Look, 3) Make It Safe, 4) Master Your Stories, 5) STATE Your Path, 6) Explore Their Path, 7) Move to Action, 8) End with Alignment. Designed for founders, executives, and teams to resolve conflict, rebuild trust, and lead with calm authority.

Care too little and people leave.

Care too much and performance drops.

Every founder I know walks this tightrope.

You want to be kind.
But you also want to be clear.
You want to support your team.
But you also expect high standards.

And most days, it feels like you’re choosing between being the “nice boss” or the “tough boss.”
But 𝘙𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘳 teaches something different.

You don’t have to choose.
You have to combine.

𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆.
𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆.
That’s the whole game.

When you 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦, 
you protect feelings but kill growth.

When you 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦, 
you get results but lose trust.

And when 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 
you build a team of silence and second-guessing.

But when you do both?
People feel safe.
People feel supported.
People know exactly how to win.

Because clarity is care.
And candor is love in leadership form.

If you want a team that grows with you, not around you start with conversations you’ve been delaying.

Save the cheatsheet: 7 Rules of Radical Candor 👇
Share it with your team.

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If you enjoy this kind of depth,
You’ll love my 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 newsletter.

It's Free and trusted by 2400+ growth-focused Founders.

🎁 Get instant access to my guide: 30 books every founder must read.

Want in?

🔗 Click "𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿" above 👆
📲 Or scan the QR code in the cheatsheet 👇

Found this valuable? 
♻️ Repost to your network 
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Radical Candor summary for founders — 7 rules to lead with care and direct challenge, inspired by Kim Scott’s book Radical Candor. Includes principles like caring personally, challenging directly, praising clearly, correcting behavior, giving real-time feedback, asking for criticism, and making expectations visible.

One change moves revenue fast.

But you must pick right.

Early in my career, I worked as a software test engineer.

The job was simple:
Change one input.
Watch the output.
Trace the real cause of failure.

A controlled test never changes 5 variables at once.

But founders do it every time growth stalls.

New hire.
New offer.
New funnel.
New pricing.
New strategy.

𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦.

Then wonder why months of effort don’t translate into movement.

The problem usually isn’t ambition.
It’s misdiagnosis.

After years of working with founders, I’ve learned that revenue gets stuck in only a few places.

Seven, to be precise.

The 7 Revenue Levers:

𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 (create demand + conversion):
1/ Positioning
2/ Offer
3/ Pricing
4/ Lead flow

𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 (multiply scale + consistency):
5/ Sales engine
6/ Customer lifetime value
7/ Growth assets

And here’s the part most founders miss:
In almost every business, 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯.

Fix the wrong lever → no change.
Fix the right one → everything starts to move.

Want to know how to choose and fix that 1 revenue lever?

Read this detailed newsletter: https://lnkd.in/diKEY-jr

--

If you enjoy this kind of depth,
You’ll love my 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 newsletter.

It's Free and trusted by 2400+ ambitious Founders.

Every Thursday, get 1 sharp, actionable system to:
✔️ Grow revenue
✔️ Maximize profit
✔️ Increase valuation
✔️ Reduce founder dependency

Want in?

🔗 Click "𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿" above 👆
📲 Or scan the QR code in the cheatsheet 👇

#CEOMastery #FounderWisdom #RevenueGrowth

Cheatsheet titled ‘7 Revenue Levers – Diagnose Before You Scale’ by Surabhi Shenoy. Visual framework showing why growth stalls, the tester’s mindset, and where revenue breaks. Highlights seven revenue levers in two groups: Positioning, Offer, Pricing, Lead Flow, Sales Engine, CLTV, and Growth Assets. Includes diagnostic questions, icons for each lever, and a QR code to subscribe to CEO Mastery.

Growth needs depth.

Depth needs reading. 

People say they want to grow.
But very few sharpen that one skill:
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Not doom-scrolling.
Not information snacking.
Not shallow content that vanishes in minutes.

I’ve always been a voracious reader.
And I realize many aren’t.
They like the speed.
They move fast.
And reading feels “slow.”

But slow 𝘪𝘴 the point.

Reading gives depth.
It builds clearer thinking.
You retain far more information.
You understand concepts better.
You can recall ideas later in seconds.
And you, not algorithm, decide what to read.

What if you don’t have time for books?

Read things you 𝘤𝘢𝘯 finish.
Read some long-form articles.
Read a thought-provoking newsletter.
Read anything that stretches your thinking...
(instead of just entertaining your mind.)

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗜 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘾𝙀𝙊 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙮. 
For founders who want to grow fast but don’t have time for books.

Each week, I send one deep insight you can apply the same day.
Revenue. 
Profit. 
Valuation. 
People. 
Systems. 
Leadership.

The real levers that move a business.

Who is this for?

- Founders who're pressed for time.
- Leaders who want sharper decisions.
- Executives who want depth without overwhelm.
- Anyone who wants to think better, and build better.

When you subscribe, I’ll send you my guide “𝟯𝟬 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱.”

And here’s the real value:
Each book comes with an article. 
I break down the idea, the takeaway, and how it shaped my decisions... so you get the wisdom in minutes, not hours.

If this speaks to you, read one long-form piece this weekend.
A book.
A newsletter.
A well-written article.
Give your brain the upgrade it has been asking for.

If you're already in the habit, what's your favorite book?

🔁 Repost if you believe reading still matters.
🔗 Join CEO Mastery by clicking “View my newsletter” above 👆

Scaling isn’t about effort.
It’s about 10 boring fundamentals.

I coached 47 founders this year.
The ones who scaled 2x+?
They all mastered the same 10 basics.

No hacks.
No wild experiments.
Just quiet, steady execution.

The ones who stalled?
They skipped at least 3.

So I broke them down.
10 fundamentals.
10 days.
Frameworks in every post.

The series got:
- 59K+ impressions
- 110+ reposts
- Multiple client conversations

I've shared them in this carousel.
Save it, download it, share it.

𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵?

Read about the BTS and the entire series here: 
https://lnkd.in/dFpRxdYz

Found this valuable?
♻️ Repost to your network
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2300+ ambitious Founders read it every week and it's free!

🔗 Click “View my newsletter” above 👆

10-fundamentals-to-scale-your-business-surabhi-shenoy

Founders want to read more.

They know books sharpen judgment.
Improve decisions.
Strengthen instincts.

But they don’t have time to sit with a 300-page book.

Ironically, the moment you need books the most… 
is the moment they stop reading.

I lived this.

Growing up, I read constantly.
But once I started building and scaling companies, reading disappeared.

Hiring. Delivery Clients. Fires.
There was always something more urgent than picking up a book.

Yet every time I felt lost as a founder…
I knew the answer was sitting in a book I hadn’t opened.

After my second exit, as I began building CEO Mastery…
I made myself a promise:

To carve time for 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 again.
To study founders, operators, mental models.
To pull patterns from the people who built iconic companies.

That’s what I do now.

I read deeply.
I take obsessive notes.
I combine them with my own experience scaling (and exiting) two companies.
And I turn them into systems founders can apply instantly.

If you want access to this level of thinking, 
📩 Subscribe to 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 here: https://lnkd.in/didm2-bY

Every Thursday:
One sharp, actionable system to scale yourself and your business.
And because I want you to start strong,
I’ll send you a gift I’ve built over the last 12 months:

“𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱” — 𝟯𝟬 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱

This isn’t a book list.
Not summaries.

Each book comes with:
 → A deeper article
 → A strategic framework
 → The exact lessons I applied while building my companies
This weekend, don’t start a new book.

Don’t add more to your “to read” list.
Instead, make 20 minutes for Read to Lead.

Because founders who win aren’t the ones who read the most books.
They are the ones who absorb the right ideas at the right time.

 Found this valuable?
♻️ Repost to your network 
🔔 Follow Surabhi Shenoy for daily founder insights

#CEOMastery #FounderWisdom #ReadToLead

Animated graphic showing a smartphone preview of the “Read to Lead — 30 Books Every Founder Must Read” guide. The right side highlights the title in large blue text, with a message explaining that the guide includes 30 books, 30 lessons, and zero guesswork. A QR code invites viewers to subscribe to the CEO Mastery newsletter to receive the full guide.

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