In my years working inside high-growth startups, I learned how to build systems in real time—often under pressure, with limited resources, and in the middle of chaos. We moved fast, adjusted faster, and had no choice but to figure out what worked now, not someday.

Now, as the founder of Hey Barbs, I help legacy and family-run businesses grow and modernize. And what surprises most of my clients? Many of the principles I bring to the table come directly from my startup background.

Not the "hustle-till-you-drop" side of startup culture. The systems-thinking, clarity-driven, agile-operations side.

Legacy businesses don’t need to become startups. But they do benefit from thinking like one. Here’s how.

The Startup Lens: What It Means

Startups are lean by necessity. They operate in chaos and survive on clarity. That mindset can do wonders for an established business that’s bogged down by "the way we've always done it."

Looking at your business through a startup lens means:

• Prioritizing agility over perfection
• Documenting everything, even as you build it
• Embracing experimentation and iteration
• Breaking silos and increasing cross-team collaboration

Startups can’t afford to wait. Legacy businesses often can’t afford not to change.

What Legacy Businesses Can Learn

Legacy business owners are proud of their history—and they should be. But many of them feel stuck in systems that no longer serve their growth.

Here’s what startup principles can bring to the table:

1. System Building

Startups build from scratch. Legacy businesses accidentally grow complex processes over time. Bringing in clean, scalable systems (from hiring to onboarding to decision-making) clears the fog.

2. Goal Alignment