Most people start a business with one or two people. If the concept proves successful, then the business will grow as you start adding more people. (Obviously some will always be just you if that is the model you choose!)

As people are added, you must learn to step back and trust others to do the things you used to do.

Letting go of control can be a challenge for most of us, I think. And knowing when and where to step in and where and when to step back may be a lifelong lesson.

I have heard founders say that it is important to always be willing to do every task. While true in the right circumstance, I think it’s important not to do what the person you hired to do it can do. Sometimes it is easier to do tasks that feel productive, when it isn’t actually the best use of your time in an organization that needs your big-picture guidance more urgently than you emptying the trash.