There’s a point in every scale-up where instinct starts to feel less reliable.
Not because it’s wrong.
But because the stakes are higher.
And the decisions carry more weight.
At this stage, most founders are told to trust their gut.
Back yourself.
Move quickly.
Go with instinct.
But the reality is more nuanced than that.
Because sometimes your gut is your biggest advantage.
And sometimes it’s the thing holding you back.
I see this show up in a few familiar ways:
- Backing a long-standing team member despite clear performance issues
- Rejecting a strong candidate because they “don’t quite feel right”
- Holding onto a strategy because it’s worked before
- Avoiding a decision because something feels uncomfortable
The impact is subtle but significant:
Standards blur
Bias creeps in
Opportunities are missed
The business slows
Instinct isn’t always insight.
Sometimes it’s just familiarity.
Early stage, your gut is often right.
You’re close to everything.
You have pattern recognition.
Speed matters more than precision.
At scale, the game changes.
Your gut is now shaped by:
Past experiences
Existing relationships
Comfort zones
And those aren’t always aligned with what the business needs next.
So the shift isn’t to ignore instinct.
It’s to interrogate it.
To ask:
Is this insight… or is this bias?
Is this based on evidence… or comfort?
Is this helping the business move forward… or keeping it where it is?
Strong leaders don’t blindly follow their gut.
They use it as a signal.
Then they test it.
Because the goal at this stage isn’t speed alone.
It’s quality of decision-making.
So it’s worth asking:
Where am I trusting instinct without challenge?
Where am I ignoring data because it feels inconvenient?
Where might my experience be limiting my judgement?
For many founders, this is the point where instinct needs to evolve - from something you follow, to something you question.
If you recognise that tension in your own decision-making, it’s worth paying attention to.
And, if useful, I’m always open to a conversation about how others are navigating that balance and share with you a toolkit that can help you navigate strategic decision making.
