Serial Fixer: The Control Problem That Keeps Founders Stuck

A founder I worked with was drowning in his own business.

Doing every sales call. Reviewing every proposal and contract. Answering every customer question himself.

Kept saying: "I can't find anyone good enough to hire."

Turns out that wasn't the problem.

The problem was that every time someone on his team tried something, he took it back. Rewrote their proposals from scratch. Jumped on their calls. Overrode their decisions.

His team gave up trying months ago.

I told him what someone told me years ago: You don't have a hiring problem. You have a control problem that, when addressed, can build your confidence in your team's abilities.

It wasn't easy to say. It wasn't easy for him to hear.

But it's something I keep seeing with EdTech founders, and something I still struggle with myself: trusting your team is key to scalable growth.

The Pattern I Keep Seeing

Built an EdTech business. Closed every deal yourself. Know every objection. Every angle. Every conversation by heart.

Then the company grows. You hire a sales team.

A Rep loses a deal. And you think: "I could have closed that one."

Next call, you're back on it. Taking over and closing it yourself.

Feels productive. Like you're helping. Like you're doing what needs to be done.

Actually keeps everyone stuck.

The team never learns. You can't do anything else. The company maxes out at whatever one person can close.

I've seen this play out dozens of times. Different founders. Different companies. Same pattern.

And I've done it myself more times than I want to admit.

Why It's So Hard to Let Go

Here's what nobody tells you about scaling: the transition isn't about stopping the work. It's about watching other people do it wrong.

At first, anyway.

Letting reps lose deals you know you could have won. Watching them stumble through objections you've handled a hundred times. Seeing them make mistakes you stopped making years ago.

As a sales leader, I hated this part. Always wanted to jump in. "Just let me handle it."

Felt like I was helping. Felt like I was being a good leader by stepping in when things got tough.

What was I actually doing? Preventing my team from learning. Keeping myself stuck in execution mode and making sure the company could never grow past what I could personally handle.

The Trade You Have to Make

When you want to scale, people have to do things their way. Not yours.

Even when it's slower. Even when it's different. Even when you'd do it better.

That's the trade. You give up control over how things get done to enable your company to grow beyond your direct involvement.

You give up control over how things get done. You accept that your way isn't the only way, which may slow progress initially, but sets the stage for sustainable growth.

Uncomfortable. Sometimes painful. Always necessary.

Because the alternative is staying exactly where you are. Doing everything yourself and wondering why the business won't grow.

What This Actually Looks Like

Ask founders all the time: What are you doing that you shouldn't be?

Always get the same list. Sales calls. Proposals. Customer support. Implementation decisions. All of it.

"What happens if you keep doing all that?"

They know the answer. The company stays small. Can't grow past one person.

Knowing isn't the problem. Letting go is.

Watching someone do it slower. Messier. Wrong at first.

I'm guilty of this. I'm a "Serial Fixer."

See something not working? Want to fix it immediately. Take back the work. Do it myself. Faster that way.

Also keeps me stuck doing the same things forever.

What Happens When You Step Back

Times I've stayed out of it and let people figure it out?

They do. Takes longer than I want. Works out better than I expected.

Not every time. But enough times.

When I don't jump in? When I let my team work through problems on their own?

They get better. Not right away. Takes time—lots of it.

Because they're not trying to do it your way, they're doing it their way, which leads to innovative solutions and growth you couldn't have achieved on your own.

Because they're not trying to do it my way, they're doing it their way.

And their way works. Just differently.

The Real Cost of Control

The real cost of control is that it keeps your company small and your leadership overwhelmed, preventing scalable growth.

Here's what I've learned: every time you take something back, you're not just doing that one task. You're sending a message.

• Message to your team: I don't trust you to handle this.

• Message to yourself: I'm the only one who can do this right.

Both messages are lies. But if you repeat them enough, they become true.

Your team stops trying because what's the point? You're going to override them anyway.

You stay convinced you're the only one who can do it because you never let anyone else prove otherwise.

The company stays stuck. You stay overwhelmed. Everyone stays frustrated.

What Changed for Me

Didn't figure this out on my own. Someone had to tell me.

You don't have a hiring problem. You have a control problem.

Stung to hear it. Because it was true.

I was holding onto everything. Convinced I was the only one who could do it right. Justified by the fact that when I did jump in, things got done faster and better.

What I wasn't seeing: things only got done faster and better in the short term. Long term, I was building a company that couldn't function without me.

Had to learn to step back. Let people struggle. Watch them figure things out. Resist the urge to fix everything immediately.

Still learning this. Still mess it up. Still jump in when I should stay out.

But I'm getting better. And every time I manage to let go, something interesting happens.

People surprise me. They come up with solutions I wouldn't have thought of.

They built capabilities I didn't know they had. They grow into roles I wasn't sure they could handle.

Turns out they were capable all along. I wasn't giving them space to show it.

The Question That Matters

Not: Can I find someone good enough to do this?

Honest question: Am I willing to let someone do this differently than I would?

If the answer is no, you're not looking for team members. You're looking for clones.

And you can't clone yourself. Even if you could, that wouldn't solve the problem because the problem isn't finding people as good as you.

The problem is letting people be as good as they can be.

What This Means

If you're a founder struggling to scale, ask yourself:

1. What are you holding onto that's keeping the company small?

2. What would happen if you let someone else handle it—even if they do it wrong at first?

3. Are you willing to trade short-term efficiency for long-term capability?

4. Can you watch someone struggle without jumping in to fix it?

These aren't comfortable questions. Took me years to even ask them honestly. Took longer to act on the answers.

But every founder I know who's built something that lasts had to answer them eventually.

You can keep doing everything yourself. Control how it all gets done.

Make sure it's done right.

And stay exactly where you are.

Or you can let go. Watch people figure it out. Accept that they'll do it differently.

And build something bigger than what one person can handle.

That's the trade.

When you want to scale, people have to do things their way. Not yours.

Even when it's slower. Even when it's different. Even when you'd do it better.

It wasn't easy for me to accept. Still isn't.

But it's the only way forward.

What are you holding that's keeping you small? I'm curious what others are working on, letting go of.