Building the operation behind a fast-growing B2B ecommerce business
The business grew from four people to 28, from zero to $6M in annual revenue, and went on to support more than 100,000 users. Our founder led the operational transformation, building the teams, processes and systems needed for the organisation to keep pace with that growth.
Work led by our founder in a previous Head of Operations role.
- 0 to $6M
- annual revenue growth
- 7×
- team growth without breaking the operation
- 100,000+
- users supported
- One operating model
- connecting teams, processes and systems
The operating model had to grow with the business
Growth changed the demands placed on the organisation. A four-person team could rely on direct communication and informal ownership. At 28 people, the business needed clearer responsibilities, repeatable processes and systems that could carry information reliably across the operation.
The challenge was not to add process for its own sake. It was to build enough operating structure for the team to scale while keeping the business responsive to customers and new opportunities.
Building the foundations for scale
The transformation covered the way the business was organised and the infrastructure behind it. Teams and responsibilities were built around the work the company needed to perform as it grew.
Core processes were made explicit and repeatable. The supporting systems gave people a consistent way to manage the work, share information and maintain visibility as the team and user base expanded.
Teams and ownership
Built the operating team from four people to 28 with clearer responsibilities around the work.
Processes for growth
Introduced repeatable ways of working that could support a larger organisation and customer base.
Systems behind the operation
Built the systems needed to coordinate work and maintain visibility as the business scaled.
What changed
The company developed the organisational capacity to support more than 100,000 users. The operation grew from a four-person team into a 28-person organisation with the people, processes and systems required to manage a much larger business.
This experience shapes how Shapeshift Labs approaches transformation today: strategy only matters when it becomes a working operating model that teams can use.