Moving fast in business means removing obstacles. The four main obstacles that slow companies down are:

No System to Collect Important Market Data

Industry and geographical boundaries matter less today. Companies must process massive amounts of information to understand potential risks and opportunities. Ask yourself: does your company have the tools, systems, and processes to do this effectively?

Slow Decision-Making

Most business decisions can be reversed. They need to be made quickly, often with incomplete data, some risk-taking, and comfort with uncertainty—something traditional managers struggle with.

Slow Allocation of Resources

Making a decision is often easy; implementing it is harder. Rolling out plans can create challenges, risks, and resistance in the organization. Jobs and reputations are at stake, which slows action.

Failure to Listen and Improve

Invite feedback from outside and refine your ideas. Have the courage to admit failure if needed and make improvements. Don’t let ego control decisions. Start, improve, repeat.

Keep removing what doesn’t work and refining what does. Nothing is ever complete—every day is “day one.” Keep ideas in constant testing—this is the beginner’s mindset.

If everything seems under control, you’re probably moving too slowly. Speed requires courage, focus, and determination but rewards efficiency and intuition.

Organizational culture reflects behavior. Encourage speed, learning, and risk-taking, and you’ll naturally create a fast, innovative culture.

This article was contributed by Christo Popov.

Frequently Asked Questions by Christo Popov

Q1. What is a slowdown in business?

Fast beats big. Today, the pace of change is faster than ever, driven by technology and information. Companies with more data and faster product launches outperform slower competitors. Slowdown happens due to:

• Old mindsets (“we’ve always done it this way”)
• Rigid organizational structures (centralized decisions, slow info flow)
• Legacy systems that cannot change
• Narrow-minded or ineffective people

Q2. What is business velocity, and how to increase it?

Business speed is critical. Six ways to increase it:

• Ask bold questions and generate new ideas
• Make decisions quickly
• Allocate resources fast
• Test, fail, and learn
• Identify what works and scale quickly

Q3. What are the Biggest workforce challenges today?

Employees (esp. young generation): Some feel entitled and avoid hard work. Reality sets in with responsibilities like family and mortgage.

Management: Technology changes fast, competitors have more data, and generational behavior gaps create challenges.

Q4. Is now a good time to start a business?

The best time is always now. But the first idea will likely fail. A startup is a laboratory, not a business. Test ideas fast and cheaply, verify with customers, and don’t fall in love with the idea.

Once you know what works, focus on execution and scaling. Success depends on speed and efficiency.

Forget asking “When is the right time?” or “Is this the right industry?” The real question is: JUST START THE LAB NOW!