Success Through Systems: Make Bold Goals, But Build the Legs Slowly

At Excite, the founding team set an audacious target: skyrocket from 17th place in a crowded market to one of the top two within a year. This bold goal fueled energy and decisiveness—it inspired the team to work long hours and try creative tactics. But what actually kept the company alive was the slower, more tedious work of strengthening the business’s legs underneath: hiring carefully, managing cash, and making sure operational basics didn’t collapse under pressure.

As momentum grew, the real threat was not that the vision was too ambitious, but that growth could outpace their systems. Startups and teams often lose when bold goals out-run their ability to execute smartly. Behavioral science confirms the SMART framework—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound—that breaks lofty aims into workable chunks. Ambition matters, but structure and process turn vision into something the team can achieve, adapt, and build on for the next big leap.

Go ahead and set a goal that stretches your group—something ambitious enough to pull everyone together. Then focus on turning that vision into a list of concrete steps and habits, keeping the work small enough to feel winnable but big enough to move the needle. Remember to pause and evaluate the basics—staffing, finances, systems—so you’re running on solid ground, not wishful thinking. This way, you get the best of both worlds: big wins and staying power.