After analyzing dozens of software company acquisitions and scaling teams at Microsoft, Stijn Hendrikse has identified the specific patterns that separate companies achieving explosive growth from those that plateau at $5-10M ARR.

In this conversation, Wes Bush sits down with Stijn, who breaks down the T2D3 framework (Triple, Triple, Double, Double, Double) - not as a theoretical model, but as a practical roadmap he's seen work across his PE portfolio and enterprise scaling experience. This isn't about growth hacking tactics. But it's about understanding that each stage of rapid scaling requires completely different strategic muscles.

The discussion reveals why most founders fail at T2D3 by trying to solve the right problems at the wrong time, how to navigate the brutal transition from startup agility to enterprise execution, and the counterintuitive reality that people - not product or market - become your primary growth constraint after $20M ARR.

Key Highlights:

01:27: The T2D3 framework decoded

13:56: Why chasing new customers kills growth

17:51: The muscle-building phase that breaks most companies

24:40: The people scaling crisis

47:19: The founder bottleneck

Learn more about Stijn's work:

T2D3 Book

Kalungi - B2B SaaS Marketing Agency

Connect with Stijn on LinkedIn

In today's episode, Wes Bush announces the launch of the Product-Led MBA, a comprehensive nine-week program designed to address the massive talent shortage in product-led growth (PLG). After nine years of helping over 400 companies generate $1 billion in self-serve revenue, he identifies a critical gap: there’s a real shortage of talent that understands the full spectrum of PLG implementation.

The Product-Led MBA teaches "full stack product-led growth," covering everything from strategy and user research to pricing, data analytics, and team building. This implementation-focused program provides real-world skills, templates, and a proven system that participants can immediately apply to any company, making it a valuable career investment in an AI-driven economy where PLG skills remain highly sought after.

Key Highlights:

• 00:47: Massive talent shortage in PLG
• 03:49: Get templates and systems we use with our clients
• 05:16: AI-proof your career with high-demand PLG skills
• 07:34: Limited time: $549 (50% off) for first 100 people

Learn more about the Product-Led MBA program

In today’s episode, Wes explores creating a frictionless onboarding experience to showcase a product’s value in under seven minutes. He introduces the Bowling Alley Framework, a strategy to direct users quickly to the value of a product by mapping out the shortest path—from sign-up to success. Wes explains that effective onboarding should eliminate unnecessary steps, label essential ones, and set up “bumpers” to guide users back if they stray. Product bumpers, like tooltips and progress bars, keep users on track, while conversational bumpers, such as emails and support messages, re-engage users who have dropped off. This combined approach helps retain new users and boosts their likelihood to upgrade.

Key Highlights:

• 00:44: Importance of an effortless experience for retention.
• 02:09: Overview of the Bowling Alley Framework.
• 04:36: Building a straight line for users to see value.
• 10:08: Adding profiling questions to personalize the user journey.
• 14:28: How to streamline onboarding and reduce the number of steps
• 19:05: Role of product and conversational bumpers to re-engage users

You can buy The Product-Led Playbook here.