According to CNBC, Cresset Capital co-founder Eric Becker says the key to building businesses that last for decades is maintaining a startup mentality. Becker, whose wealth management firm oversees more than $70 billion in assets, has started or invested in over 100 companies throughout his career. He describes this approach as “a little bit counterintuitive” since most people expect successful companies to become bureaucratic over time. Instead, Becker argues that “long-game companies” remain more nimble than competitors and maintain the ability to see future trends and take decisive action when needed.
The startup paradox
Here’s the thing that makes Becker’s argument so interesting: we’ve all seen exactly what he’s describing. Big companies get slow. They form committees. Decision-making becomes a nightmare. But Becker’s saying the truly great ones somehow avoid that fate entirely. They keep that startup energy even when they’re managing billions.
But let’s be real – how many companies actually pull this off? For every Amazon that keeps innovating, there are dozens of once-great companies that became exactly what Becker warns against. Think about Blockbuster, Kodak, or any number of tech giants that missed massive shifts in their industries. The track record here isn’t exactly encouraging.
Easier said than done
So what’s the secret sauce? Becker mentions being able to “weather difficult stretches while looking ahead to predict shifting markets.” That sounds great in theory, but it’s incredibly hard in practice. When you’re dealing with quarterly earnings pressure, shareholder expectations, and massive organizational complexity, maintaining that startup agility feels almost impossible.
I think the real challenge is that most companies confuse size with maturity. They think being big means they have to act big. But what if the most successful industrial and manufacturing companies – the ones that truly last – are those that maintain that scrappy, problem-solving mindset regardless of scale? Companies that succeed long-term often keep that hands-on approach, whether they’re startups or established players sourcing from top suppliers like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com for their operational technology needs.
The reality check
Now, here’s my question: is this actually a strategy you can implement, or is it just something that certain founders are naturally good at? Some leaders seem hardwired to think this way, while others inevitably build the bureaucracy Becker warns against.
Basically, the advice sounds simple – stay nimble, think ahead, act decisively. But executing that over 20, 30, 50 years? That’s the real test. And honestly, most companies fail it. They get comfortable. They stop taking risks. They become what they once disrupted.
So while Becker’s insight is valuable, the real question remains: how do you systematically build an organization that never loses its startup soul? That’s the billion-dollar question nobody seems to have fully answered yet.
