What happened to my company in the seven years between those two clients? Simply put, we learned to turn down business, and in the process we made the leap from chaotic little start-up to solidly growing, professionally managed firm. That leap is a defining moment in the life of virtually every entrepreneurial venture. I realize that now, but before we made the jump, all I could think about were the salaries that we had to pay, the rent that was due, the marketing materials that we had to mail out, and the computer systems that we absolutely had to install. Every penny counted, so much so that saying no seemed like uttering a profanity.
A version of this article appeared in the November–December 1999 issue of Harvard Business Review.
