How to scale a business: lessons from founder and CEO Devika Wood
Scaling a business is often seen as a step change in growth: more customers, more revenue and more visibility. In reality, it is a continuous process of solving increasingly complex problems, strengthening operations and learning when to adapt.
In this episode of Scale-Up Sessions by Cynergy Bank, Devika Wood, CEO of Brain+, shares practical lessons from building Vida, leading a publicly listed digital health business and navigating the realities of moving from startup to scale-up.
For founders, the lesson is clear. Sustainable business growth does not come from chasing momentum alone. It comes from understanding the problem you are solving, building the systems to support demand and leading with confidence when the path becomes more complex.
Key takeaways:
Start with a clear market pain point before pursuing growth.
Recognise that operational scaling exposes gaps in delivery, capacity and hiring.
Use evidence, facts and data to support leadership decisions under pressure.
Build trusted relationships with boards, investors and teams as the business grows.
What founders need to know before scaling a business
Early-stage growth is often driven by spotting a gap in the market. When a sector is expanding but failing to deliver consistent quality, it creates space for new models and better solutions.
However, traction alone is not enough. Demand can be created through marketing and brand awareness, but this does not guarantee that the underlying model is scalable.
As growth begins, new challenges emerge quickly. Increased demand can expose weaknesses in delivery, hiring or operations. These constraints are not signs of failure. They are signals that the next stage of scaling requires a different focus.
The strongest businesses treat early success as a test. They use it to identify what needs to improve before growth continues.
You see something where there’s a pain point or something’s broken and you want to go and fix it.
Devika Wood
And as you start doing it, you start to find more and more problems. And that’s where you start to innovate and, you know, pivot or iterate, or do things differently on how you build your products.
Devika Wood
How operational scaling reveals what needs to change
As organisations grow, complexity increases across every part of the business.
Operational pressure is often the first constraint. Whether it is supply, delivery or capacity, systems that worked at a smaller scale can struggle under higher demand.
At the same time, expectations rise. Stakeholders, investors and customers begin to look for consistency and progress. This creates tension between building long-term capability and delivering short-term results.
External factors can add further complexity. Entering new markets or sectors can take longer than expected, particularly where adoption is slow or processes are difficult to navigate.
Scaling is not just about doing more. It is about strengthening the systems that support growth.
It is really easy to sometimes forget how difficult it is to build a company and most companies don’t survive after three years.
Devika Wood
Why leadership in business must evolve during growth
The demands on leadership change significantly during scaling.
Clear decision making becomes more important. As pressure increases, relying on instinct alone becomes less effective. Decisions need to be supported by evidence, data and a clear understanding of impact.
Any decision, any conversation that I have, any interaction that I have that may be challenging, it always comes with evidence, facts or data.
Devika Wood
Relationships also play a critical role. Trust across teams and stakeholders enables faster problem solving and reduces friction when challenges arise. Without it, progress can stall at key moments.
Confidence is another factor. Fear of failure can prevent action, particularly in high-stakes situations. Leaders who move forward despite uncertainty are better positioned to adapt and improve over time.
Resilience underpins all of this. Setbacks are a natural part of scaling. Progress depends on how quickly teams learn and adjust. Scaling a business is a cycle of identifying problems and solving them as you grow.
Focusing on real needs, strengthening operations and evolving leadership allows businesses to scale with greater control and confidence.
Devika Wood
