The Power of Working on, Not in, Your Business

Have you ever considered that knowing too much about your company’s product or service could be a disadvantage? Sometimes, not being a technical expert can help you avoid a common trap many founders fall into.

Carrie Kelsch, who founded A Plus Garage Doors in 2005, had no experience in garage door repair. Instead of seeing that as a disadvantage, she turned it into an edge by focusing on growth, leadership, and building a high-performing team rather than getting stuck in the technical side of the business.

“I didn’t, and I still don’t, know how to fix a garage door,” she says. Instead, Carrie leaned on her team to handle operations so she could dedicate her energy to marketing and growth. This approach reflects the advice in Michael Gerber’s The E-Myth Revisited: to work on your business, not in it.

Not Getting Taken Advantage Of

You might worry that if you don’t understand the technical side of your business, employees or vendors could take advantage of you by claiming tasks take longer or cost more than they actually do. To address this, consider tying key employees’ compensation to your company’s long-term success.

One powerful strategy is implementing phantom equity. This gives employees a stake in the financial upside of your business without transferring…