The Scaleup Growth Journey: A Board-Level Framework for Sustainable Growth
Growth doesn’t slow because teams stop trying. It slows because decisions are made out of sequence; brand too late, performance over-rotated, hires before clarity. This framework maps how growth actually behaves from £10m to £50m+ and beyond.
Why this matters now
Scaleups don’t usually plateau because products are weak or teams aren’t trying hard enough.
They plateau because a system that once worked, performance-led, channel-driven, opportunistic, stops delivering predictable growth.
At this point efficiency falls, CAC rises, sales cycles lengthen, and leadership teams feel busy but not confident. The result is reaction; changing agencies, adding channels, hiring senior leaders, without understanding the systemic tension beneath the symptoms.
What Do You Need Next?
Growth dynamics evolve as a business scales from early traction toward enterprise value creation. It aligns revenue stage, investment mindset, dominant growth levers, team structure, and risk signals so leaders can see where they are and what they need next.
PHASE 1
Early Proof
(£1m-£3m)
The focus is proving the model. Traction is founder-led and opportunistic.
Brand strategy begins conceptually here (even if spend is minimal) because early market signals are defining your story whether you intend it or not.
PHASE 2
Repeatable Growth
(£3m-£10m)
Channels scale and teams start specialising. Performance drives acquisition but unit economics tighten.
Brand begins to matter for future demand. Positional clarity should be forming here.
PHASE 3
Scale
(£10m-£50m)
Channels scale and teams start specialising. Performance drives acquisition but unit economics tighten.
Brand begins to matter for future demand. Positional clarity should be forming here.
PHASE 4
Enduring Growth
(£50m+ to IPO)
Growth becomes about optionality, reputation, category expansion and long-term demand creation.
Brand, product, operations and investment strategy become inseparable.
Common traps that slow scaleup growth
Leadership teams often fall into familiar dilemmas that feel real but are actually false choices. These traps distract from where the real growth tension lies.
Brand or Performance
Not a trade-off. When one dominates without the other at the right stage, growth becomes lopsided and future demand is hard to build.
Hire or Agency
Execution support only works if the big questions: strategy, sequencing, priority, are already answered.
Short-term ROI or Long-term value
Most growth teams optimise quarterly results without shaping the narrative that drives future demand.
Efficiency or Growth
Cost efficiency is necessary, but not at the expense of expanding demand and category relevance.
Questions every scaleup board should be asking
At each stage of the growth journey, the right question is more valuable than the right tactic:
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Where are we on the growth journey today?
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Which levers are we over-rotating or ignoring?
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Is our positioning clear enough to support long-term demand creation?
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Are our hires building capability or adding complexity?
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How aligned are performance and brand strategies?
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What will unlock the next phase of growth?
How OSER partners with scaleup leaders
OSER works with founders, CEOs, boards and investors who are ready to turn complexity into clarity. We help leadership teams diagnose their growth stage and map the right levers.
We work best with companies in the £10m–£50m+ revenue range, where growth complexity increases, and tactical optimisation no longer delivers systemic results.
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Clear stage diagnosis and growth logic
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Aligned brand + performance thinking
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Strategic hiring decisions
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Breakdowns of common growth tensions
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Board-ready growth clarity
Explore the Scaleup Growth Journey in depth
Join an executive briefing designed for founders, CEOs, board members and investors who want to ground their growth strategy in a clear, stage-aligned framework. In 60 minutes, we will walk through the OSER Growth Journey and explain where scaleups typically get stuck and what to do about it.
Strategic + creative thinking
GROWTH
FAQs
Brand strategy should begin earlier than most leaders think - ideally, once growth becomes repeatable. It doesn’t mean big spend; it means disciplined positioning and category clarity.
When should a scaleup invest in brand strategy?
1
Over-dependence on performance levers without building long-term demand or mental availability. As channels saturate, CAC rises and leaders aren’t sure what to invest in next.
What causes growth plateaus after Series B?
2
It depends on where you are on the journey. Without strategic clarity, hiring senior leaders can create more noise than progress.
Do we need a Head of Growth, Head of Marketing or CMO?
3
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