Stephan Lendi is a Swiss Moderator & Communications coach with Newbury Media & Communications GmbH and a Harvard-trained mediator.
It was a sweltering afternoon in the basement of a former factory in a Swiss town when I first sat down with two determined entrepreneurs running a prototype of a shrimp farm. The air was thick and humid, carrying the salty tang of seawater. Around us, tanks hummed with activity—tiny creatures darting about, oblivious to the struggles of the people who had built this operation from the ground up.
The founders looked exhausted. They had invested everything into their vision, creating a product they believed was the best of its kind. But despite their efforts, they weren’t seeing results.
“We’ve got something truly special,” one of them said, wiping sweat from his brow. “But nobody’s biting. Chefs look at the price and don’t even bother to try it.”
They had done everything right—perfected their process, ensured the highest quality and tirelessly pitched their product. And still, nothing.
I leaned back, letting the hum of the tanks fill the silence for a moment. “Have you ever tried to get ketchup out of a bottle?” I finally asked.
They gave me a blank look. “Ketchup?”
“Yeah,” I said, smiling. “You shake and shake, and nothing comes out. Then, all of a sudden—BOOM! You’ve got way more ketchup than you know what to do with. That’s where you are right now. You’re shaking the bottle. Keep at it. When the ketchup flows, it’ll pour out all at once.”
They chuckled, though their expressions still carried doubt.
The First Squeeze
A few months later, I got a call. One of the founders was nearly shouting into the phone.
“You won’t believe this! A Michelin-starred chef just called. He tried our product and said it’s the best he’s ever had. He wants to put it on his menu—and he’s telling his friends!”
“That,” I said, grinning, “is your first drop of ketchup.”
From that moment on, it was as if someone had unleashed a flood. Word spread rapidly, and suddenly their product wasn’t just another ingredient—it was a must-have.
Sticking It Out Until The First Squeeze
Every entrepreneur reaches a point where they’ve done everything right but see no immediate results. It’s frustrating, but success often isn’t linear. Here are a few ways to keep shaking the bottle until that first drop comes:
1. Trust the process. If you’ve built a high-quality product or service and you’re getting positive feedback, stay patient. Market adoption takes time, and often, the tipping point happens suddenly.
2. Get feedback, not just rejections. If people aren’t buying, ask why. Sometimes, it’s just about pricing or positioning, and small tweaks can make a huge difference.
3. Focus on the right advocates. Instead of trying to convince everyone, find key people who can influence others. A single well-placed endorsement can shift everything.
4. Keep showing up. Consistency is key. The more your audience hears about you, the more familiar and trusted you become.
5. Prepare for the surge. This might seem premature when you’re struggling, but be ready for what happens when things take off. Too many businesses crumble under sudden demand because they weren’t prepared.
Scaling Smartly
After that first squeeze, the real challenge begins: handling growth without losing what made you special in the first place. If you scale too quickly or poorly, the bottle might dry up just as fast as it started flowing.
Here’s how to scale smartly:
1. Maintain quality at all costs. Growth should never come at the expense of what made people fall in love with your product in the first place.
2. Expand in phases. Instead of making massive leaps, expand gradually. Test each stage before jumping into the next.
3. Strengthen your supply chain. Make sure you can handle increased demand without sacrificing efficiency or reliability.
4. Communicate with your customers. If demand surges, be transparent. Customers appreciate honesty and will often be willing to wait if they trust you.
5. Keep your core values intact. Success can tempt you to cut corners or chase profits at the expense of your original vision. Stay grounded.
The Sweet Spot
Months after that first breakthrough, I visited the entrepreneurs again—this time, in a larger facility designed to keep up with demand. Their expressions were different now: not exhausted, but energized; overwhelmed, but in the best way.
“Scaling is harder than we thought,” one admitted. “But we finally get it. Growth isn’t just about selling more. It’s about staying true to why people bought in the first place.”
That’s the key lesson. Whether you’re building a business, launching a project or chasing any big goal, patience and persistence are essential. The bottle doesn’t pour on the first shake—but when it does, you better be ready to catch it.
So if you’re in that frustrating stage where nothing seems to be moving, take a deep breath and keep shaking. Your first squeeze might be closer than you think.
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