The Success Trap

Success feels good. It feels like a destination. You've climbed the hill. You are on the plateau.

This is the most dangerous place to be.

I call this "The Success Trap." It's a variation of the classic S-curve model. The traditional S-curve shows a product or business life cycle. It moves from slow growth, to a steep climb, and finally to a plateau.

This plateau is the trap.

Why? Because success is not a final state. That plateau is eroding. The world is changing around you. Your competitors are still climbing. In physics, we would say that entropy overcomes inertia.

In short, if you are not moving forward, you are moving backward.

The moment you think you don't need help, you are most vulnerable. The success trap can capture you at any level of performance. You can be a startup founder, a seasoned executive, or a new hire. The mechanism is the same.

I know from firsthand experience. At year 7, my business really took off.  I was “too busy” to keep marketing.  I also figured I had finally broken through the sound barrier.  But I was really at a plateau instead of a peak.

The solution is a simple one. Keep climbing.

Growth is not a one-time push. It must be a constant effort.

Look at your own career. Look at your business. Are you standing still on a plateau? Or are you looking for the next climb?

The next step is the one that prevents the fall.