Foundation First to Reach $10M

Everyone wants to talk about tech stacks, software, and processes. Operators love showing off their new office or the cleanest warehouse in town (I totally get that).

But here’s the truth. None of that matters until you nail the basics.

The companies that push past $10 million don’t start with infrastructure. They start with the things that actually drive growth: leads, people, and sales. Everything else comes after.

It’s All About Leads

Without leads, nothing else matters. Trucks, techs, and training are all irrelevant if the phone isn’t ringing.

As Jack Carr pointed out, the difference between the $1 million operator and the $10 million operator is simple. The smaller business is still guessing. The bigger one knows exactly which channels drive demand and fills the board every day.

It only takes one or two reliable channels. A third, maybe, if you want to push harder. But you have to know where the demand is coming from, or you won’t get far.

But Don’t Forget About People

Once the board is full, someone has to run the calls and close the jobs. That’s where people come in.

The best operators build incentive structures so their team grows the business for them. Commission, bonuses, flat-rate pay. Whatever the model, top performers know how to win. That clarity attracts money-driven, competitive people who want to sell and install.

Recruiting becomes a sales process of its own. You have to show candidates why your company is the best place to work, not beg them to come on board. That flip is what separates companies stuck at $3 million from the ones racing to $10 million and beyond.

Sales People = Revenue

A salesperson’s only job is to sell. And when you hire one, revenue follows.

It sounds obvious, but it’s a shift many operators resist. They don’t want to be “pushy.” But if nobody sells, nothing grows.

At scale, sales isn’t optional. It’s structured, trained, and measured. The best companies adopt proven processes so every conversation leads toward revenue. That’s how one good salesperson can add millions in sales volume in a single year.

Infrastructure Can Wait

Infrastructure still matters. Payroll, HR, systems, and software eventually support everything else. But if you put them first, you stall out.

You can run the cleanest warehouse in the country and your business still won’t grow an inch without leads and sales.

So stop building for what you think you’ll need at $100 million. Build for the next 24 months. Let revenue fund the rest.

The Best Path Forward

The path to $10 million is straightforward:

• Lock in reliable lead channels
• Incentivize and recruit money-driven people
• Bring on salespeople who only sell
• Support those pillars with infrastructure as you grow

Put first things first. Leads, people, and sales. Then let infrastructure follow.

That’s how you scale past $10 million while everyone else is still polishing their tech stack and wondering why the phones aren’t ringing.

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