The Life Cycle of a Business – And Your Role Within It: The Engine
The Engine – People, Culture, and Cashflow
Fueling the Business with the Right Energy at the Right Time
The Engine Behind Every Business Isn’t the Product — It’s the People
You can have the best idea, the cleanest systems, the most beautiful brand — but if the wrong energy powers it, it won’t last.
The fourth phase of business is where we stop building the machine and start asking:
What — and who — is fueling it?
This is the point where founders realise:
Culture isn’t a vibe. It’s a business driver.
Cashflow isn’t just math. It’s oxygen.
People aren’t resources. They’re multipliers or detractors.
Hiring Isn’t a Task — It’s a Philosophy
“Hire slow, fire fast” is easy to say. Harder to live.
At this stage, the people you bring in will either:
Protect your vision
Dilute your standards
Challenge you in all the right or wrong ways
You’re not just hiring for skill. You’re hiring for:
Integrity
Accountability
Energy fit
Psychological resilience
The right people will grow the company. The wrong ones will cost you more than money.
When money is limited, how do you ensure that you hire the right talent?
Culture.
Culture: The Unspoken Operating System
Culture is not your company values printed on a wall.
It’s:
How conflict is handled
What’s tolerated when no one’s looking - management styles
The energy of meetings
The behaviour of the leadership
Staff incentives, perks, benefits, training and activities
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” — Peter Drucker
If your culture is reactive, avoidant, or toxic, no amount of vision will save the business.
Culture questions to ask yourself:
What and who do we celebrate?
What do we tolerate?
What do we never let slide?
Cashflow is King.
The Pulse of Your Business
Most businesses don’t die from a lack of profit — they die from a lack of cash.
Cashflow is emotional.
If it's tight, you make reactive decisions.
If it’s healthy, you get space to be strategic.
Healthy cashflow management means:
Knowing your burn rate
Keeping 3–6 months of runway
Having discipline during growth seasons
You need to spend like a farmer — planting for seasons that haven’t arrived yet.
Your Role Evolves Again: From Operator to Steward
In this phase, your job shifts again:
From visionary to protector of the internal ecosystem
From hands-on manager to conscious culture builder
From sales driver to sustainability steward
This is the season where you must lead the humans, not just the outcomes. And if you can’t do it, make sure you have someone who can by your side.
People and Profit Are Not Opposed where there is Purpose.
It’s a false dichotomy that you must choose between culture and cash.
In fact, the best companies build a culture that creates cashflow:
High-trust teams work faster
Aligned cultures reduce turnover
People who feel safe innovate more boldly
A healthy team isn’t a cost. It’s a multiplier.
Reflection Prompt
What kind of energy — not just output — do your people bring to your business?
What part of your culture needs realignment with the values you say you stand for?
References & Resources
Drucker, P. (Quote on Culture & Strategy)
Lencioni, P. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
Horowitz, B. The Hard Thing About Hard Things
Collins, J. Good to Great
Next in Series:
Blog 5: The Mirror – Work as a Reflection of the Self
Why your business is starting to look like you—for better or worse.