Why you can't scale alone

Nathan explains founders can't scale solo and sets the episode's focus on finding people who truly care.

Play episode from 01:10

chevron_right

Transcript

chevron_right

Transcript

Episode notes

Most founders are desperate to hire — but they're asking the wrong question. It's not "How do I find great people?" It's "How do I find people who care as much as I need them to?"

Here's the truth: you can't scale alone. And no one will ever care about your business as much as you do. But after building Foundr and making every hiring mistake in the book (including paying half-million-dollar salaries that didn't work out), I've learned this: caring can't be taught, but it can be detected.

In this episode, I share the exact framework I use to hire outliers and build a team that treats Foundr like their own. This is how we've built a high-performance culture where people don't just show up — they go the extra mile.

Here's what you'll take away: • Why caring can't be taught, but how to spot the early signs in interviews and reference checks • The culture mistake that kills performance: your worst performer sets the standard for everyone • How mission and purpose become your secret weapon for attracting people who actually give a shit • Why ownership beats micromanagement — and how to give people real outcomes, not just tasks • The incentive structures that create loyalty: equity, profit share, and aligning personal goals with company goals • Why connection and relationships matter more than driving people harder

If you're scaling and struggling to find people who care, this episode will change how you hire, lead, and build your team.

If you're loving this solo series, I'd love to hear your feedback. Email me directly at nathan@foundr.com — I read every reply. Hope you enjoy it.

SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS

Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend with the code FOUNDR50. Just head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://your.omnisend.com/foundr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get started.

HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER

Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+

Start your $1 trial → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com/startdollartrial⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING?

→ Starting from scratch? Apply here → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

→ Already have a store? Apply here → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN

Instagram → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/nathanchan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠