102 - The Hidden Cost of Working In the Business
Many founders hit 5M in revenue but stay stuck in the weeds. This episode exposes the true cost of working in the business instead of on it and how to measure your time to unlock scalable growth and freedom.
The Hidden Cost of Working In the Business
Reaching 5M in revenue is a milestone, unless you’re still operating like you did at 500K.
In this episode, we break down a common trap that high-revenue founders often fall into: running the business as the primary operator, rather than the strategic leader.
1. You Can’t Out-Hustle a Broken Model.
When your business is built around you, every win comes with exhaustion. The growth ceiling arrives not because of the market, but because of your time. The more the business depends on you, the less it’s worth.
2. The Time Trap That Drains Value.
If your schedule is filled with €100/hour tasks, you’re not just burning out, you’re silently shrinking your valuation. Investors and acquirers look for independence, not founder dependency. When your absence threatens the business, your exit potential disappears.
3. The First Step: Measure It.
Freedom doesn’t start with strategy. It begins with clarity. Track where your time goes for just five days, and the patterns become apparent. That’s when real change begins: delegation, systems, and structure follow.
Strategic Insight:
You’re not paid to hustle. You’re paid to design. Measure your time like you measure revenue, because that’s where freedom and scalability begin.
Highlights:
00:00 Introduction: The Hidden Cost of Working in the Business
00:02 The Reality of Founder Exhaustion
00:14 The Inescapable Truth About Business Models
00:21 The Scalability Trap
00:28 Consequences of Over-Reliance on Founders
00:38 First Step to Freedom: Measure Your Time
00:44 The Solution: CEO Time Audit
Links:
Website: https://www.marcogrueter.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcogrueter/
Transcript:
The hidden cost of working in the business. I've seen founders with 5 million in revenue, still working like they did at 500 k, exhausted stock, and wondering why Growth stall. Here's the truth, no one tells you you can't out hostile a business model that depends on you. You can't scale if your time is swallowed by a hundred euro per hour top. The business dies when you leave it for longer and it doesn't attract investments and can't be sold or only at the very low valuation. The first step, measure it until you see where your time goes. You can't fix it. Get my CEO Time audit, just five days and you will see where your freedom starts.