I wrote my book, Behave Like a Startup, because too many of my Fortune 1000 clients were baffled by a painful trend—they were losing deals, relevance, and even top talent to scrappy startup companies with no track record and barely any resources.
These legacy companies were doing everything “right”:
- Award-winning sales and marketing teams
- Strategic hires aligned with their corporate culture
- Deep R&D budgets
- Perks like stock options, fitness centers, and extended maternity leave
And yet, they were consistently getting outpaced by startups operating out of coworking spaces.
Why Legacy Companies Lose Market Share (Even When They’re Winning on Paper)
The truth? Many well-established companies unknowingly fall victim to organizational complacency. Instead of innovating, they blame external factors:
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“It’s the economy.”
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“Offshore competition.”
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“Regulatory red tape.”
But what’s really happening is a slow cultural decay. And unless it’s addressed, this pattern will only accelerate.
Here’s a quick diagnostic. Ask yourself:
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Is your company slower to react than it used to be?
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Are leaders shortcutting processes that once defined excellence?
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Are teams burned out—or worse—quietly sabotaging workflow?
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Are internal factions forming around fear of acquisition?
If you’re nodding “yes,” then it’s time for a cultural reset.
Think Like a Startup—Before One Takes You Down
Here’s what startup companies get right, and how you can integrate their winning behaviors into your organization today:
1. Restore Urgency—Launch Before You’re Ready
Startups move fast. They don’t wait for perfection; they ship in beta and improve in real time. Learn from companies like Airbnb or Slack—both launched with basic versions of their apps and refined based on user feedback. Legacy firms can adopt this model by releasing early, listening closely, and iterating quickly.
💡 Remember: Perfection is a moving target. Relevance isn’t.
2. Treat Complaints as Innovation Gold
In a recommendation economy, one bad review on Twitter/X or Reddit can go viral. But complaints are also signals—early alerts that expose where you’re bleeding cash or eroding trust. Startups take immediate action. Do you?
3. Eliminate Process Bottlenecks
Audit every customer interaction point. Is your ordering system outdated? Does your approval process require five signatures? Identify friction and streamline aggressively.
4. Rethink Risk
Legacy companies often suffer from “paralysis by analysis.” Startups, however, bet bold. They test fast, fail small, and learn big. You don’t need recklessness, but you do need courage. Because playing it safe can be the riskiest move of all.
The Culture Shift That Changes Everything
All of the above rests upon how well you can get buy-in from your teams to be more enthusiastic and nimble. You’ve got to bring back the fun – bring back the excitement of being with a fresh-thinking company. Startup energy is contagious. Walk into a startup, and you’ll see:
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Idea boards full of “what ifs”
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Post-it notes everywhere
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Teammates laughing, collaborating, and wanting to be there
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Founders and interns sharing beers after hours—not because they have to, but because they care
This isn’t about ping pong tables and kombucha. It’s about mission-driven work and emotional ownership.
You can reignite that spirit in your organization. You can restore urgency, responsiveness, and camaraderie. And when you do, innovation will follow.
Book Ross Shafer to Transform Your Team’s Mindset
With over 2,600 keynote speeches delivered across industries—and more than 20 companies bought and sold—Ross Shafer knows what it takes to shake organizations out of stagnation and back into growth.
He’s helped clients like Microsoft, Pfizer, and Costco transform their cultures by thinking like a startup again. Whether you’re hosting a leadership retreat, sales summit, or annual convention, Ross brings the energy, insight, and entertainment to spark lasting change.
📌 Ready to reignite your team’s competitive edge? Book Ross Shafer today!