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The Science of Scaling: Grow Your Business Bigger and Faster Than You Think Possible
What if scaling wasn’t about working harder―but seeing your business through an entirely new lens?
Are you stuck growing 10–20% a year while dreaming of bigger impact―and wondering why scale feels out of reach?
Here’s the hard truth: linear growth isn’t just slow―it’s a sign your business is heading toward stagnation. Research shows that businesses that don’t scale quickly usually fail altogether. Why? Because most leaders are focused on the wrong things, operating from the wrong assumptions, and setting the wrong goals.
In The Science of Scaling, organizational psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Benjamin Hardy, and Blake Erickson, co-founders of Scaling .com, reveal a revolutionary framework that helps companies scale bigger and faster than they ever thought possible. In fact, companies that apply this framework routinely grow 10–100x within just three years.
You’ll learn:
· The single starting point every scaling company must define―but most completely miss
· How to use time as a tool to eliminate dead ends and force focus
· How to identify your blind spots―and stop justifying the decisions that keep you small
· How to simplify your business model and system so it actually scales
· How to attract and empower world-class talent who deliver exponential results
Before you finish this book, you’ll experience a paradigm shift so profound that it will change how you see everything. You’ll realize you’ve been playing small, operating linearly out of fear. And you’ll finally understand how to scale the right way: with bold, impossible goals, extreme honesty, and the true “focus”― defined as filtering for only the people and paths that align directly with your highest vision.
If you’re satisfied with small wins and incremental gains, this book isn’t for you.
But if you’re ready to stop optimizing what shouldn’t exist―and finally build a business that scales―this is your playbook.
Are you stuck growing 10–20% a year while dreaming of bigger impact―and wondering why scale feels out of reach?
Here’s the hard truth: linear growth isn’t just slow―it’s a sign your business is heading toward stagnation. Research shows that businesses that don’t scale quickly usually fail altogether. Why? Because most leaders are focused on the wrong things, operating from the wrong assumptions, and setting the wrong goals.
In The Science of Scaling, organizational psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Benjamin Hardy, and Blake Erickson, co-founders of Scaling .com, reveal a revolutionary framework that helps companies scale bigger and faster than they ever thought possible. In fact, companies that apply this framework routinely grow 10–100x within just three years.
You’ll learn:
· The single starting point every scaling company must define―but most completely miss
· How to use time as a tool to eliminate dead ends and force focus
· How to identify your blind spots―and stop justifying the decisions that keep you small
· How to simplify your business model and system so it actually scales
· How to attract and empower world-class talent who deliver exponential results
Before you finish this book, you’ll experience a paradigm shift so profound that it will change how you see everything. You’ll realize you’ve been playing small, operating linearly out of fear. And you’ll finally understand how to scale the right way: with bold, impossible goals, extreme honesty, and the true “focus”― defined as filtering for only the people and paths that align directly with your highest vision.
If you’re satisfied with small wins and incremental gains, this book isn’t for you.
But if you’re ready to stop optimizing what shouldn’t exist―and finally build a business that scales―this is your playbook.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published July 29, 2025
420 people are currently reading
1023 people want to read
About the author
Benjamin Hardy
15 books16 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Dr. Benjamin P. Hardy: Benjamin P. Hardy
Dr. Benjamin P. Hardy: Benjamin P. Hardy
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
June 6, 2025
I hav received an early copy and was thrilled because I am a huge fan of Dr Benjamin Hardy’s work. Sadly, this book was not the quality that I had expected. I’m really hoping that by the time this finally goes to print there is a serious lift in value. I feel like everything that is being attempted in this book has been done before in other books, in a much more succinct and systematic way. The references to historical figures and billionaires is overdone in other business books and pop culture. Ironically, this book is about getting absolute clarity so that you exponentially scale, and yet half of the words I felt were irrelevant. I very rarely write a negative review. But I was so shocked by the contrasting quality from other books. I look forward to getting a copy on the final version and I will gladly change my review should it be significantly improved.
September 13, 2025
Wow, what a great business book and they do a small case study on the company I work for. Small world. Enjoyed.
October 25, 2025
While this was written like the typical pop-science business book, it was more substantive than usual. I had several helpful thoughts that apply to my current work. Some of the key insights from the book include:
- Set impossible goals to force clarity and breakthrough thinking.
- Frame, Floor, Focus: define what you aim for, eliminate what holds you back, and concentrate on high-leverage actions.
- Use time as a tool—compress deadlines to spark urgency and innovation rather than drift.
- Linear growth = stagnation; scaling requires rethinking identity, systems, and assumptions.
- Simplify your business model, drop distractions, and build around people and paths that align with your highest vision.
- Set impossible goals to force clarity and breakthrough thinking.
- Frame, Floor, Focus: define what you aim for, eliminate what holds you back, and concentrate on high-leverage actions.
- Use time as a tool—compress deadlines to spark urgency and innovation rather than drift.
- Linear growth = stagnation; scaling requires rethinking identity, systems, and assumptions.
- Simplify your business model, drop distractions, and build around people and paths that align with your highest vision.
August 10, 2025
Are you ready to scale your business? I mean, really SCALE your business? Then this is the book for you. Dr. Ben Hardy distills his extensive research on organizations into The Science of Scaling, setting forth a framework that will help you achieve your growth goals. The framework itself is simple: change your frame, raise your floor, accelerate your focus. Yet putting it into practice requires radical commitment.
If you’re ready to 10x your business in 3 years or less, then check out this book and be ready for transformational growth driven by focus and clarity.
Notable quotes:
“The reality of time and its consequences is the most potent lever for readiness to change. Deadlines force readiness. They force you to face brutal facts and to stop putting your energy in noise and distractions. Deadlines are a feedback loop that forces results.”
“Our goals shape the systems we build….A system is simply the organization of efforts and processes toward a specific outcome. The goal is the why and what, the system is the how and who.”
If you’re ready to 10x your business in 3 years or less, then check out this book and be ready for transformational growth driven by focus and clarity.
Notable quotes:
“The reality of time and its consequences is the most potent lever for readiness to change. Deadlines force readiness. They force you to face brutal facts and to stop putting your energy in noise and distractions. Deadlines are a feedback loop that forces results.”
“Our goals shape the systems we build….A system is simply the organization of efforts and processes toward a specific outcome. The goal is the why and what, the system is the how and who.”
August 6, 2025
Nothing radically new here if you’ve read Benjamin Hardy before—and that’s the point. This book refines his core ideas into their clearest, most systematic, and practical form yet. No fluff, no nonsense, all strategy and psychology.
October 20, 2025
Really great message: gotta delete the unnecessary, and choose the most important and impossible goal you can. Through that lens everything that isn’t absolutely necessary to achieve that goal must fall by the wayside.
Overall I’m looking forward to applying this framework in my own business, and this idea into my own everyday life.
Overall I’m looking forward to applying this framework in my own business, and this idea into my own everyday life.
July 19, 2025
One of the best books I’ve ever read. I was lucky enough to get an early copy and the book changed my perspective about how I run my current company and what I should stop doing. Highly recommend to anyone who is running a company and interested in growth
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October 22, 2025"The Science of Scaling: Grow Your Business Bigger and Faster Than You Think Possible" by Benjamin Hardy and Blake Erickson explores the fundamental insight that most companies fail to scale not because of a lack of effort, strategy, or talent - but because they operate from a faulty mental model of what growth actually is. The book argues that true scaling is not the result of incremental improvements or linear planning. Instead, it emerges from a radical shift in mindset - one where leaders deliberately set goals so large they appear impossible, thereby forcing themselves to abandon conventional logic and eliminate everything that no longer serves that audacious outcome. Rather than treating scaling as an act of addition - adding more products, more personnel, or more systems - the authors demonstrate how exponential growth is achieved through subtraction. This introduction of an 'impossible frame' utterly reframes reality, compelling leaders to abandon what is merely sufficient and pursue only what is essential. From the outset, the book makes clear that what holds most businesses back is not their current constraints, but the smallness of the future they are aiming for.
The authors illustrate this mental leap through one of the most iconic examples of bold vision: President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 moonshot commitment. In the face of numerous competing national priorities, Kennedy initially had no clear anchor for focus. But when he chose the singular, audacious, and seemingly unreasonable goal of putting a man on the moon before the decade’s end, everything else reorganized beneath it. The impossible goal served as a filter, eliminating distracting initiatives and forcing a ruthless clarity of direction. This is the psychological foundation of scaling. Leaders who set merely realistic goals allow their systems, habits, and standards to remain comfortably unchanged - meaning they subconsciously engineer incremental outcomes. But those who choose goals that clearly cannot be achieved through their present means are forced to reinvent the path entirely. Exponential change becomes necessary because their current reality can no longer survive the standard of the future.
The book explains that a powerful scaling model consists of three interdependent components: frame, floor, and focus. The 'frame' is the impossible goal - the audacious future that functions as a filter powerful enough to render most present activity insufficient. The 'floor' is the minimum operating standard - what becomes unacceptable the moment a bigger future is chosen. And finally, 'focus' is what remains once the noise has been stripped away - the singular, direct path to achieving that future without distraction. The authors demonstrate that most companies fail not because they lack ambition, but because they set manageable goals that do not force this necessary psychological collapse of the present. In those cases, there is no urgency to change anything foundational - so nothing truly changes at all.
The chapter on frame emphasizes that the most effective goal often feels illogical at first glance. Alicia Ault serves as an example - a talented credit industry expert who sat on a promising idea for a decade because her thinking remained constrained by realistic expectations. Her first attempt at setting an aggressive target - signing 100 clients in 90 days - still relied on the logic of her existing ways of operating. But when she jumped beyond what felt achievable - 1,000 clients in the same time - the impossibility of cold-calling that many people shattered her assumptions. Suddenly, she realized her goal could only be achieved through leverage - not effort. Within hours, her behavior changed, and exponentially better outcomes became not just achievable but inevitable. The bigger goal did not make her work harder. It forced her to work differently.
Complementing the idea of the impossible frame is the concept of the impossible timeline. The authors argue that time is not a passive constraint but an active strategic weapon. Parkinson’s Law - that work expands to fill the time allowed - explains why long timelines create sluggish execution and persistent complexity. When a goal is paired with an impossibly short timeline, the mind is forced to eliminate false requirements and pursue only the most high-leverage path. The story of entrepreneur Richard Bryan demonstrates this perfectly. For years, he had a reasonable plan to sell his real estate portfolio over the next decade. But when challenged to do it in one year, everything changed. In a matter of months, he dismantled the business that no longer aligned with his future and accelerated into a life he thought was years away. The timeline forced an identity shift - not just a strategic one.
From here, the book moves to its most difficult but critical principle - raising the floor. If the frame is about the future you are committing to, the floor is about what you are no longer willing to tolerate in the present. Most companies fail to scale because they simply allow too much mediocrity to persist. They tolerate team members who drain energy, clients who waste attention, product lines that are emotionally familiar but strategically pointless. The authors point to Steve Jobs’s return to Apple in 1997 - when he immediately eliminated roughly 340 out of 350 active products - as one of history’s most decisive examples of raising the floor. Jobs understood that complexity is not a sign of sophistication but of cowardice - an unwillingness to kill what must die for the future to exist.
Once the frame is set and the floor is raised, what remains is clarity of focus. The noise is gone. Momentum becomes possible. But at this stage, many founders make a fatal error - continuing to operate as the hero of the business. Hardy and Erickson argue that true scaling is impossible without building a team of 'Super Whos' - individuals who do not need to be managed but instead drive the vision forward with superior capability. This requires the founder to shrink in operational significance while expanding in strategic magnetism. They reference Reed Hastings at Netflix, who chose to hire one extraordinary engineer instead of dozens of average ones - a decision that proved repeatedly more profitable. The lesson is clear: mediocrity scales linearly. Excellence scales exponentially.
In the final synthesis, "The Science of Scaling: Grow Your Business Bigger and Faster Than You Think Possible" asserts that exponential growth is generated by a psychological commitment before it ever manifests operationally. Scaling is not about doing more, but about violently eliminating what no longer belongs in the future you’ve chosen. It begins by setting a frame so ambitious that your current behavior becomes immediately obsolete. It continues by raising your floor so high that mediocrity and complexity are no longer tolerated in any form. And it accelerates when you shift focus entirely to the shortest path forward powered by people who operate at the highest possible level. The book’s ultimate thesis is that playing the incremental game is a choice - and that scaling is not about increasing effort, but about choosing a future so compelling it forces the present to evolve.
The authors illustrate this mental leap through one of the most iconic examples of bold vision: President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 moonshot commitment. In the face of numerous competing national priorities, Kennedy initially had no clear anchor for focus. But when he chose the singular, audacious, and seemingly unreasonable goal of putting a man on the moon before the decade’s end, everything else reorganized beneath it. The impossible goal served as a filter, eliminating distracting initiatives and forcing a ruthless clarity of direction. This is the psychological foundation of scaling. Leaders who set merely realistic goals allow their systems, habits, and standards to remain comfortably unchanged - meaning they subconsciously engineer incremental outcomes. But those who choose goals that clearly cannot be achieved through their present means are forced to reinvent the path entirely. Exponential change becomes necessary because their current reality can no longer survive the standard of the future.
The book explains that a powerful scaling model consists of three interdependent components: frame, floor, and focus. The 'frame' is the impossible goal - the audacious future that functions as a filter powerful enough to render most present activity insufficient. The 'floor' is the minimum operating standard - what becomes unacceptable the moment a bigger future is chosen. And finally, 'focus' is what remains once the noise has been stripped away - the singular, direct path to achieving that future without distraction. The authors demonstrate that most companies fail not because they lack ambition, but because they set manageable goals that do not force this necessary psychological collapse of the present. In those cases, there is no urgency to change anything foundational - so nothing truly changes at all.
The chapter on frame emphasizes that the most effective goal often feels illogical at first glance. Alicia Ault serves as an example - a talented credit industry expert who sat on a promising idea for a decade because her thinking remained constrained by realistic expectations. Her first attempt at setting an aggressive target - signing 100 clients in 90 days - still relied on the logic of her existing ways of operating. But when she jumped beyond what felt achievable - 1,000 clients in the same time - the impossibility of cold-calling that many people shattered her assumptions. Suddenly, she realized her goal could only be achieved through leverage - not effort. Within hours, her behavior changed, and exponentially better outcomes became not just achievable but inevitable. The bigger goal did not make her work harder. It forced her to work differently.
Complementing the idea of the impossible frame is the concept of the impossible timeline. The authors argue that time is not a passive constraint but an active strategic weapon. Parkinson’s Law - that work expands to fill the time allowed - explains why long timelines create sluggish execution and persistent complexity. When a goal is paired with an impossibly short timeline, the mind is forced to eliminate false requirements and pursue only the most high-leverage path. The story of entrepreneur Richard Bryan demonstrates this perfectly. For years, he had a reasonable plan to sell his real estate portfolio over the next decade. But when challenged to do it in one year, everything changed. In a matter of months, he dismantled the business that no longer aligned with his future and accelerated into a life he thought was years away. The timeline forced an identity shift - not just a strategic one.
From here, the book moves to its most difficult but critical principle - raising the floor. If the frame is about the future you are committing to, the floor is about what you are no longer willing to tolerate in the present. Most companies fail to scale because they simply allow too much mediocrity to persist. They tolerate team members who drain energy, clients who waste attention, product lines that are emotionally familiar but strategically pointless. The authors point to Steve Jobs’s return to Apple in 1997 - when he immediately eliminated roughly 340 out of 350 active products - as one of history’s most decisive examples of raising the floor. Jobs understood that complexity is not a sign of sophistication but of cowardice - an unwillingness to kill what must die for the future to exist.
Once the frame is set and the floor is raised, what remains is clarity of focus. The noise is gone. Momentum becomes possible. But at this stage, many founders make a fatal error - continuing to operate as the hero of the business. Hardy and Erickson argue that true scaling is impossible without building a team of 'Super Whos' - individuals who do not need to be managed but instead drive the vision forward with superior capability. This requires the founder to shrink in operational significance while expanding in strategic magnetism. They reference Reed Hastings at Netflix, who chose to hire one extraordinary engineer instead of dozens of average ones - a decision that proved repeatedly more profitable. The lesson is clear: mediocrity scales linearly. Excellence scales exponentially.
In the final synthesis, "The Science of Scaling: Grow Your Business Bigger and Faster Than You Think Possible" asserts that exponential growth is generated by a psychological commitment before it ever manifests operationally. Scaling is not about doing more, but about violently eliminating what no longer belongs in the future you’ve chosen. It begins by setting a frame so ambitious that your current behavior becomes immediately obsolete. It continues by raising your floor so high that mediocrity and complexity are no longer tolerated in any form. And it accelerates when you shift focus entirely to the shortest path forward powered by people who operate at the highest possible level. The book’s ultimate thesis is that playing the incremental game is a choice - and that scaling is not about increasing effort, but about choosing a future so compelling it forces the present to evolve.
November 10, 2025
This is not a good book. There are a couple of ideas here that might be considered useful, but not worth buying the book for. Basically, consider how long it will take you to reach your goals and give yourself 1/3 the time, then figure out how to make that happen. The only other point might be learning to cut out things that are not directly serving your goal. Great... book done.
The major problem with this book is the Author. Seems like this guy (who sounds like he's about 19 years old) really just wants attention and approval for his obvious genius. It's pretty obnoxious. The other problem with this book is what is missing from it. There are case studies that paint the picture he wants you to see (pretty normal I guess), but they are so inconsistent. Nike has screwed up their business because they haven't focused their efforts and then got political by supporting Colin Kaepernick. He missed a LOT of the story in terms of Nike's history of supporting athletes within the political sphere, so that story just wasn't accurate. I actually think he didn't do the full research, because he's likely not really that smart (and maybe too young to have any real experience). Then he goes on to celebrate Elon Musk's moves throughout the past few years of buying Twitter, making it political and getting directly involved with politics by jumping in bed with Donald Trump. He didn't manage to hold onto that story long enough to report on how Elon and Trump dramatically fell apart from each other. Elon's move can't really be considered what this guy idolizes him for anymore, so that story is stupid. I mean, it is super clear that this guy is a very right-wing Christian MAGA dude. I just feel like that lense is likely limiting in terms of the anecdotes that were chosen and the angle in which each of those anecdotes are viewed.
I listened to the auidobook version. Seems like the author likely insisted on reading it himself. That wasn't the best choice if you ask me. He's not the best narrator.
At the end of the book, the author tells us that his partner thought it would be a good strategic move for him to be included as an author, even though he hadn't done any of the writing. Then he tells us how incredible he is for letting him do that for the small price of $1,000,000. Seems like telling us that story sort of negates any benefit of including this guy on the book. Basically, he's on the book, but then the author tells us that he doesn't deserve to be. Pretty lame.
The major problem with this book is the Author. Seems like this guy (who sounds like he's about 19 years old) really just wants attention and approval for his obvious genius. It's pretty obnoxious. The other problem with this book is what is missing from it. There are case studies that paint the picture he wants you to see (pretty normal I guess), but they are so inconsistent. Nike has screwed up their business because they haven't focused their efforts and then got political by supporting Colin Kaepernick. He missed a LOT of the story in terms of Nike's history of supporting athletes within the political sphere, so that story just wasn't accurate. I actually think he didn't do the full research, because he's likely not really that smart (and maybe too young to have any real experience). Then he goes on to celebrate Elon Musk's moves throughout the past few years of buying Twitter, making it political and getting directly involved with politics by jumping in bed with Donald Trump. He didn't manage to hold onto that story long enough to report on how Elon and Trump dramatically fell apart from each other. Elon's move can't really be considered what this guy idolizes him for anymore, so that story is stupid. I mean, it is super clear that this guy is a very right-wing Christian MAGA dude. I just feel like that lense is likely limiting in terms of the anecdotes that were chosen and the angle in which each of those anecdotes are viewed.
I listened to the auidobook version. Seems like the author likely insisted on reading it himself. That wasn't the best choice if you ask me. He's not the best narrator.
At the end of the book, the author tells us that his partner thought it would be a good strategic move for him to be included as an author, even though he hadn't done any of the writing. Then he tells us how incredible he is for letting him do that for the small price of $1,000,000. Seems like telling us that story sort of negates any benefit of including this guy on the book. Basically, he's on the book, but then the author tells us that he doesn't deserve to be. Pretty lame.
August 11, 2025
Great info.
Here are my notes
Focus on the type of clients you really want.
THE KEY IS TO SET GOALS SO BIG THEY SEEM IMPOSSIBLE TO HIT.
COMPLEX SYSTEMS ARE NOT SCALABLE SO FOCUS ON MAKING IT SIMPLE
CH1: CHANGE YOUR FRAME
MOST MAKE SMALL GOALS DUE TO FEAR OF FAILURE
HAVING CLEARLY DEFINED GOALS CREATES A SYSTEM AND SIMPLIFIES FOCUS TO ACHIEVE THEM
THE GOAL DETERMINES THE PROCESS
CH2: COMPRESS TIME
Use aggressive deadlines
LEVERAGE TIME BY GIVING YOURSELF LESS OF IT FOR YOUR GOALS
DEADLINES FOR YOU TO GET READY. THEY FORCE YOU TO STRIP AT ALL NONNECESSARY ITEMS.
SIMPLIFY FOCUS AND EXECUTE ON THE KEY FEW ITEMS
CH3: RAISE YOUR FLOOR
SAY NO TO MORE IN ORDER TO ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS
WHAT IS COSTING YOU. MORE THAN YOU'RE WILLING TO ADMIT?
IN ORDER TO RAISE YOUR FLOOR, YOU MUST EXPOSE THE AREAS YOU MOST EMBARRASSED ABOUT
WEAKNESS IS NOT RECOGNIZING AND WORKING ON YOUR WEAKNESSES
ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY IS KEY IN RAISING YOUR FLOOR
YOU MUST HAVE A POWERFUL FILTER PROCESS THAT IS FAST TO DISQUALIFY TO HIT IMPOSSIBLE TARGETS
CH4: SIMPLIFY YOUR SYSTEM
INNOVATION AND SIMPLIFICATION IS SAYING NO TO THE THOUSAND OTHER THINGS SO YOU CAN SAY YES AND FOCUS ON THE VERY FEW THINGS THAT YOU MASTER TO SCALE
CH5: ACCELERATE FOCUS
DRAW HARDLINES IN THE SAND OF WHICH YOU WON’T DO
MAKE COMPLEXITY SIMPLE, AND THEN IT BECOMES SCALABLE.
CH 6: SCALE BEYOND YOURSELF
WASHINGTON STEPPED DOWN FROM PRESIDENT KNOWING THE UNITED STATES NEEDED TO KNOW IT COULDN’T BE DEPENDENT ON HIM.
YOU CAN’T BE THE CENTER OF THE BUSINESS IF YOU WANT TO SCALE.
EXAMPLE OF MUSK BUYING TWITTER, IN ORDER TO PARTNER WITH TRUMP FOR HIS NUMBER ONE GOAL OF GETTING TO MARS
Here are my notes
Focus on the type of clients you really want.
THE KEY IS TO SET GOALS SO BIG THEY SEEM IMPOSSIBLE TO HIT.
COMPLEX SYSTEMS ARE NOT SCALABLE SO FOCUS ON MAKING IT SIMPLE
CH1: CHANGE YOUR FRAME
MOST MAKE SMALL GOALS DUE TO FEAR OF FAILURE
HAVING CLEARLY DEFINED GOALS CREATES A SYSTEM AND SIMPLIFIES FOCUS TO ACHIEVE THEM
THE GOAL DETERMINES THE PROCESS
CH2: COMPRESS TIME
Use aggressive deadlines
LEVERAGE TIME BY GIVING YOURSELF LESS OF IT FOR YOUR GOALS
DEADLINES FOR YOU TO GET READY. THEY FORCE YOU TO STRIP AT ALL NONNECESSARY ITEMS.
SIMPLIFY FOCUS AND EXECUTE ON THE KEY FEW ITEMS
CH3: RAISE YOUR FLOOR
SAY NO TO MORE IN ORDER TO ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS
WHAT IS COSTING YOU. MORE THAN YOU'RE WILLING TO ADMIT?
IN ORDER TO RAISE YOUR FLOOR, YOU MUST EXPOSE THE AREAS YOU MOST EMBARRASSED ABOUT
WEAKNESS IS NOT RECOGNIZING AND WORKING ON YOUR WEAKNESSES
ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY IS KEY IN RAISING YOUR FLOOR
YOU MUST HAVE A POWERFUL FILTER PROCESS THAT IS FAST TO DISQUALIFY TO HIT IMPOSSIBLE TARGETS
CH4: SIMPLIFY YOUR SYSTEM
INNOVATION AND SIMPLIFICATION IS SAYING NO TO THE THOUSAND OTHER THINGS SO YOU CAN SAY YES AND FOCUS ON THE VERY FEW THINGS THAT YOU MASTER TO SCALE
CH5: ACCELERATE FOCUS
DRAW HARDLINES IN THE SAND OF WHICH YOU WON’T DO
MAKE COMPLEXITY SIMPLE, AND THEN IT BECOMES SCALABLE.
CH 6: SCALE BEYOND YOURSELF
WASHINGTON STEPPED DOWN FROM PRESIDENT KNOWING THE UNITED STATES NEEDED TO KNOW IT COULDN’T BE DEPENDENT ON HIM.
YOU CAN’T BE THE CENTER OF THE BUSINESS IF YOU WANT TO SCALE.
EXAMPLE OF MUSK BUYING TWITTER, IN ORDER TO PARTNER WITH TRUMP FOR HIS NUMBER ONE GOAL OF GETTING TO MARS
September 9, 2025
Running my own law firm has taught me that growth isn’t just about adding more clients, more cases, or more hours in the day—it’s about becoming the kind of person who can actually sustain and lead that growth. That’s why The Science of Scaling resonated with me.
Hardy’s central message—that you don’t scale a business, you scale a person—hit home. In my world, where it’s easy to get buried in trial prep, client meetings, and endless details, the reminder to step back and focus on who I’m becoming as a leader was powerful.
His Frame, Floor, Focus model makes sense:
(1) Frame impossible goals that force you to think bigger than incremental wins.
(2) Floor your standards by cutting out what doesn’t serve your vision (something I’ve had to do plenty of times in practice management).
(3) Focus only on the few actions and systems that actually move things forward.
What I appreciated most was the emphasis on identity. Building a firm isn’t just about hiring staff or finding clients—it’s about raising your standards as the attorney, the leader, the business owner. That part really clicked.
Where I felt the book lacked was in the nuts-and-bolts execution. As someone who likes practical tools I can apply directly to case management and firm operations, I found myself wanting more specifics. The mindset shift is huge, but I still needed to translate it into my own systems.
Overall, though, this book challenged me to think beyond incremental changes and consider what it would look like to scale not just the firm, but myself. For anyone running a business—especially in a demanding field like law—I think Hardy’s framework offers both clarity and challenge.
Hardy’s central message—that you don’t scale a business, you scale a person—hit home. In my world, where it’s easy to get buried in trial prep, client meetings, and endless details, the reminder to step back and focus on who I’m becoming as a leader was powerful.
His Frame, Floor, Focus model makes sense:
(1) Frame impossible goals that force you to think bigger than incremental wins.
(2) Floor your standards by cutting out what doesn’t serve your vision (something I’ve had to do plenty of times in practice management).
(3) Focus only on the few actions and systems that actually move things forward.
What I appreciated most was the emphasis on identity. Building a firm isn’t just about hiring staff or finding clients—it’s about raising your standards as the attorney, the leader, the business owner. That part really clicked.
Where I felt the book lacked was in the nuts-and-bolts execution. As someone who likes practical tools I can apply directly to case management and firm operations, I found myself wanting more specifics. The mindset shift is huge, but I still needed to translate it into my own systems.
Overall, though, this book challenged me to think beyond incremental changes and consider what it would look like to scale not just the firm, but myself. For anyone running a business—especially in a demanding field like law—I think Hardy’s framework offers both clarity and challenge.
August 14, 2025
I've read Dr. Hardy's other books, which were always impressive, but not this one! It seems the book was written in a rush, nothint concrete, no clear blueprint to follow. Just a business management concept with three major steps detailed as three book parts with a lot of stories of politicians and billionaires, sometimes not convincing or relevant enough. Everyone mentioned in the book is portrayed as a hero who has taken a radical approach to run their business or political life, and some of them are literally radical peopel (I don't want to delve into politics here).
The concept of scaling itself, as presented by the writer, is a bit suicidal with all the radical steps one might take! It sounds like a suicidal mission with no rational thinking or studying your moves! Have an impossible goal, eliminate everything and everyone that might oppose this impossible goal, don't care about what might happen (as per the writer's logic this will always work, no stats or any prood about it apart from some success stories). Simply, be radical running your business, just like Elon Musk or maybe Trump? I started to doubt that the book was somehow a promotional campaign for them, or far right thinking maybe.
Worse the book ended with a promotion to a business set around the same concept of the book. Dr. Hardy has a business with the same concept of scaling and holding this same name, where he can help you scale based on the idea of the book, he is asking you as a reader to join it!
Final thought, I'm simply disappointed by the book.
The concept of scaling itself, as presented by the writer, is a bit suicidal with all the radical steps one might take! It sounds like a suicidal mission with no rational thinking or studying your moves! Have an impossible goal, eliminate everything and everyone that might oppose this impossible goal, don't care about what might happen (as per the writer's logic this will always work, no stats or any prood about it apart from some success stories). Simply, be radical running your business, just like Elon Musk or maybe Trump? I started to doubt that the book was somehow a promotional campaign for them, or far right thinking maybe.
Worse the book ended with a promotion to a business set around the same concept of the book. Dr. Hardy has a business with the same concept of scaling and holding this same name, where he can help you scale based on the idea of the book, he is asking you as a reader to join it!
Final thought, I'm simply disappointed by the book.
October 17, 2025
My interpretation of every other sentence in this book...
I asked the stuck-in-their-ways-trust-fund-baby-business-successor "What are your goals"
They confidently answer back to me "I want to become George Bush in 7 Years, 2035"
"2035, oddly round" I thought under my breath
I snort in evil laughter "7 years? why not 7 months"
Their eyes grow wild, as their mouth stammered to respond,
"t-t-thats impossible, I could never"
"Exactly, and you'll always be a GEB BUSH if you don't clarify your systems to allow yourself to scale extra super rapidly, just like Elon Musk and JFK."
The gears of their extra small brain turned visibly as they were confronted with my genius, the genius intellect of me, PHD Doctor Hardy, and my trusty Mormon Missionary Blake.
They reluctantly agreed, and I saw their chakras align, and found myself unrestrictedly attracted to their spiritual aura
In 2019 they did 5 Cents in revenue
by 2021 they had over $5 billion in PROFIT
That Business Owner grew up to be Obama
Lacks a fundamental understanding of Finance
Like the Let Them Theory is bound up in New Age Spiritualism that would have you conduct business strategy by feel good platitudes and tarot cards and séances. If you don't believe me go to the publisher's website, Hay House Publishers.
I asked the stuck-in-their-ways-trust-fund-baby-business-successor "What are your goals"
They confidently answer back to me "I want to become George Bush in 7 Years, 2035"
"2035, oddly round" I thought under my breath
I snort in evil laughter "7 years? why not 7 months"
Their eyes grow wild, as their mouth stammered to respond,
"t-t-thats impossible, I could never"
"Exactly, and you'll always be a GEB BUSH if you don't clarify your systems to allow yourself to scale extra super rapidly, just like Elon Musk and JFK."
The gears of their extra small brain turned visibly as they were confronted with my genius, the genius intellect of me, PHD Doctor Hardy, and my trusty Mormon Missionary Blake.
They reluctantly agreed, and I saw their chakras align, and found myself unrestrictedly attracted to their spiritual aura
In 2019 they did 5 Cents in revenue
by 2021 they had over $5 billion in PROFIT
That Business Owner grew up to be Obama
Lacks a fundamental understanding of Finance
Like the Let Them Theory is bound up in New Age Spiritualism that would have you conduct business strategy by feel good platitudes and tarot cards and séances. If you don't believe me go to the publisher's website, Hay House Publishers.
August 30, 2025
The Science of Scaling pushed me in all the right ways. The biggest challenge for me was the idea of having one goal. At THE FOCUS GROUP we often juggle multiple goals—industry growth, campaign results, feasibility studies—and sometimes they even compete. This book made me wrestle with what it would look like to focus everything behind a single aim.
I also appreciated the reminders about sunk cost bias and the importance of letting go. Blake’s three questions made me think of our own internal frameworks, and I kept wondering how we might simplify things like feasibility studies before they turn into “huge elephants.”
The Warren Buffett quote really stuck with me too: “The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to just about everything.” As a leader who loves to say yes, that was convicting.
Finally, the $100 million model stretched my imagination—it’s not just about growth but about building systems that can truly scale.
Overall, this book was clarifying, uncomfortable at times, and exactly what I needed.
I also appreciated the reminders about sunk cost bias and the importance of letting go. Blake’s three questions made me think of our own internal frameworks, and I kept wondering how we might simplify things like feasibility studies before they turn into “huge elephants.”
The Warren Buffett quote really stuck with me too: “The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to just about everything.” As a leader who loves to say yes, that was convicting.
Finally, the $100 million model stretched my imagination—it’s not just about growth but about building systems that can truly scale.
Overall, this book was clarifying, uncomfortable at times, and exactly what I needed.
September 14, 2025
It kinda reminded me of the same ideas of his other books, which were also great:
- Impossible/stretching goals: filter good-but-not-great paths out towards impossible goals. Focus on the few strategies, methods that would help accomplish those impossible goals. This topic is highly covered in the 10x is easier than 2x
- Work on the 20% of the tasks that have 80% of the outcome
- Redefine your identity: raise your floor by eliminating all the unnecessary components that won't help you achieve your goals
The most interesting part of the book was the idea of using "time" as a tool to weed out all the things that won't help you achieve a bold goal with an impossible deadline. Using time as a tool is an interesting framework because it builds this sense of urgency, keeping us on the right track (with the right tactics, methods, and paths) and motivated.
The rest of the book was not that interesting because I'm not running a business nor I'm a manager.
- Impossible/stretching goals: filter good-but-not-great paths out towards impossible goals. Focus on the few strategies, methods that would help accomplish those impossible goals. This topic is highly covered in the 10x is easier than 2x
- Work on the 20% of the tasks that have 80% of the outcome
- Redefine your identity: raise your floor by eliminating all the unnecessary components that won't help you achieve your goals
The most interesting part of the book was the idea of using "time" as a tool to weed out all the things that won't help you achieve a bold goal with an impossible deadline. Using time as a tool is an interesting framework because it builds this sense of urgency, keeping us on the right track (with the right tactics, methods, and paths) and motivated.
The rest of the book was not that interesting because I'm not running a business nor I'm a manager.
October 19, 2025
This book shares a simple but profound insight that if you set "reasonable" goals based on what you've already done, you can not scale. Instead, the authors recommend setting an "impossible" goal on an "unreasonable" timeline because that forces you to let go of what you're currently doing, and look for new possibilities that could create that "impossible" future.
By raising the "floor" of what projects and customers you will take on (letting go of any that don't fit with your goal), it forces you to focus your attention on the limited pathways to achieve your scaling success.
I never believed in setting goals because goals were often used by bad leaders to create overwork and burnout. But here the impossible goals are used as a tool to provoke new thinking, to shake you off your current path and look at your possibilities with fresh eyes.
I'm still reflecting on how I might apply these ideas to my own business but I am certainly inspired and that's high praise from me about a business book.
By raising the "floor" of what projects and customers you will take on (letting go of any that don't fit with your goal), it forces you to focus your attention on the limited pathways to achieve your scaling success.
I never believed in setting goals because goals were often used by bad leaders to create overwork and burnout. But here the impossible goals are used as a tool to provoke new thinking, to shake you off your current path and look at your possibilities with fresh eyes.
I'm still reflecting on how I might apply these ideas to my own business but I am certainly inspired and that's high praise from me about a business book.
June 26, 2025
lowkey reminds me of luke belmar (so it was cringe at times)
kind of sales-y, always sneaking in things like join our scaling team now to see if you're ready for this lifestyle! or else you suck!
def drove the point home and repeats similar things regarding paradigm/frame shifts, having "impossible goals" or "impossible deadlines"
gives a lot of examples and sources which are revelant to modern day and somewhat trendy with current day figures/influencers/athletes..
my fav thing was the chapter on deadlines, that shi actually did make a lot of sense. it talked about how we give ourselves arbitrary deadlines like "10 years from now" but if we compress that to like 1 year, it would actually force ourselves to get moving.
also simplifying your goals and not just saying yes to what seem logically good, but really is just a bunch of fuckery/distractions in the long term for what you really want
tldr
it was kind of cringe/grindset coded but def had some facts in there and cool real-world examples
kind of sales-y, always sneaking in things like join our scaling team now to see if you're ready for this lifestyle! or else you suck!
def drove the point home and repeats similar things regarding paradigm/frame shifts, having "impossible goals" or "impossible deadlines"
gives a lot of examples and sources which are revelant to modern day and somewhat trendy with current day figures/influencers/athletes..
my fav thing was the chapter on deadlines, that shi actually did make a lot of sense. it talked about how we give ourselves arbitrary deadlines like "10 years from now" but if we compress that to like 1 year, it would actually force ourselves to get moving.
also simplifying your goals and not just saying yes to what seem logically good, but really is just a bunch of fuckery/distractions in the long term for what you really want
tldr
it was kind of cringe/grindset coded but def had some facts in there and cool real-world examples
July 30, 2025
One of Hardy’s Best—Practical, Inspiring, and Backed by Research
I’ve read every one of Benjamin Hardy’s books, and The Science of Scaling might be my favorite yet. It’s packed with practical wisdom, grounded in research, and written in a way that feels both challenging and encouraging.
What struck me most was how relevant this book is—not just for CEOs or entrepreneurs, but for anyone leading a mission, movement, or meaningful project. As someone who has scaled a global nonprofit, I found myself nodding along, underlining passages, and already applying some of the insights.
Even the Foreword and first few chapters alone are worth the read. I listened to the audiobook first, then ordered a hard copy because I knew I’d want to return to it again and again.
If you’re looking for clarity on how to grow something that matters—without losing your purpose in the process—this is your book.
I’ve read every one of Benjamin Hardy’s books, and The Science of Scaling might be my favorite yet. It’s packed with practical wisdom, grounded in research, and written in a way that feels both challenging and encouraging.
What struck me most was how relevant this book is—not just for CEOs or entrepreneurs, but for anyone leading a mission, movement, or meaningful project. As someone who has scaled a global nonprofit, I found myself nodding along, underlining passages, and already applying some of the insights.
Even the Foreword and first few chapters alone are worth the read. I listened to the audiobook first, then ordered a hard copy because I knew I’d want to return to it again and again.
If you’re looking for clarity on how to grow something that matters—without losing your purpose in the process—this is your book.
November 4, 2025
A simple and easy to understand framework but lots of rehashing, regurgitating and renaming of other people's work. It's almost like a book written by AI after you put in 100 similar business books that came before this into the AI agent. On the upside, for those who hadn't read most books he quoted, referenced or slightly intimated, it is a good exposure to certain of those ideas especially if you are new to scaling or new to business. I am not a big fan of coaching organizations for businesses where there is a lack of solid, deep, and diverse amount of experience of coaches that lived and breathed the same at different levels of the varied challenges. Have to say that relatively speaking, I much prefer "Be your Future Self" or even "Who not How" better with the Aha's. The think bigger and move faster concept here is an extension of the "10x better than 2x". Quick read so not a lot of downside in reading this. Just not earth shattering.
November 4, 2025
Loved this book and implementing some strategies already. I find his writing and insight incredibly helpful for what I am needing at my current phase of my company. Below are some excerpts that stood out:
•Set a deadline that doesn’t give you the luxury of procrastination.
•Realistic goals are rarely inspiring. And uninspiring goals, rarely transforms businesses or lives.
•There is a fundamental difference between a bold vision, and an unrealistic goal.
•Impossible goals, require an extreme redefinition of what you and your business can achieve.
•Impossible goals, force you to more clearly redefine your organization. They force focus.
With that said, the ending is painful to read as Ben paints himself as knowing it all and he can’t believe other business owners wouldn’t work with him…
•Set a deadline that doesn’t give you the luxury of procrastination.
•Realistic goals are rarely inspiring. And uninspiring goals, rarely transforms businesses or lives.
•There is a fundamental difference between a bold vision, and an unrealistic goal.
•Impossible goals, require an extreme redefinition of what you and your business can achieve.
•Impossible goals, force you to more clearly redefine your organization. They force focus.
With that said, the ending is painful to read as Ben paints himself as knowing it all and he can’t believe other business owners wouldn’t work with him…
October 21, 2025
This book was excellent…a rare mix of business theory and real-world application. It challenged my preconceived notions and gave me frameworks I could immediately put into practice. The section on separating signal from noise really stuck with me; it clarified how to recognize what actually matters in data and decision-making.
I also found the discussion on outsourcing and the pitfalls of hiring cheap offshore developers instead of focusing on skill especially relevant. Every chapter felt grounded, practical, and thought-provoking. Highly recommend this read to anyone, regardless of role. It will sharpen how you think about growth, scale, and execution.
The 1 star I took off was for some of the business examples that felt like they made some assumptions to fit their framework.
I also found the discussion on outsourcing and the pitfalls of hiring cheap offshore developers instead of focusing on skill especially relevant. Every chapter felt grounded, practical, and thought-provoking. Highly recommend this read to anyone, regardless of role. It will sharpen how you think about growth, scale, and execution.
The 1 star I took off was for some of the business examples that felt like they made some assumptions to fit their framework.
June 26, 2025
Very good book, listening to this makes me think I have too many other books that this one book would eliminate the need for.
Ultimately in this book Dr. Hardy is giving us a framework
1. Frame, Set super high goals, not a stretch goal, but a goal so big that it would astound your ancestors :)
2. Compress the time you give yourself to reach that goal, thinking 3 months maybe try to do it in 30 days instead, your 10 year goal? How could you do it in 3 years or less?
3. Floor, set super high standards for the attainment. This means you need to focus on what you want and say no to the 99% of other things and lesser goals or distractions that are not what you want.
Ultimately in this book Dr. Hardy is giving us a framework
1. Frame, Set super high goals, not a stretch goal, but a goal so big that it would astound your ancestors :)
2. Compress the time you give yourself to reach that goal, thinking 3 months maybe try to do it in 30 days instead, your 10 year goal? How could you do it in 3 years or less?
3. Floor, set super high standards for the attainment. This means you need to focus on what you want and say no to the 99% of other things and lesser goals or distractions that are not what you want.
July 6, 2025
The Science of Scaling by Benjamin Hardy offers a fresh take on fast business growth—not through tactics or strategy, but by shifting the way you think. The “science” of scaling is about setting impossible goals and radically compressing the time it takes to achieve them. This mental shift forces a complete reassessment of how you operate—what to eliminate, your route to market, and who you need on board. As your ceiling expands, so does your floor—the minimum level of effort and focus you’re willing to bring. There’s little science here, but lots of stories and inspiration for how to shift your mindset, which most business books miss.
August 5, 2025
I was originally skeptical if I should read this book, even though I have read and loved many of Dr. Hardy's other works. The cover even says "Grow your business bigger and faster than you think possible" and I don't have a business to grow! But I jumped in anyway and I'm so glad I did.
First, there are some world class ideas in this book and I can share it with my friends and clients who do have their own businesses. But second, many of the underlying ideas can apply to individuals as well.
If you are not yet a business owner, don't sleep on this one, as it will inspire and instruct you to develop personally as well!
First, there are some world class ideas in this book and I can share it with my friends and clients who do have their own businesses. But second, many of the underlying ideas can apply to individuals as well.
If you are not yet a business owner, don't sleep on this one, as it will inspire and instruct you to develop personally as well!
September 17, 2025
Really liked this book!
Hardy breaks down scaling into powerful stages and each one helped me rethink how I approach goals, systems, and execution. What really clicked for me was the concept of setting “impossible goals.” It sounds ambitious (and it is), but the way he explains it actually makes it feel doable.
I also appreciated how the book doesn’t waste time on fluff. It’s straight to the point, packed with examples, and full of insights you can immediately apply. (whether you’re running a business, leading a team, or just trying to level up personally)
Highly recommend and excited to keep applying the concepts shared!
Hardy breaks down scaling into powerful stages and each one helped me rethink how I approach goals, systems, and execution. What really clicked for me was the concept of setting “impossible goals.” It sounds ambitious (and it is), but the way he explains it actually makes it feel doable.
I also appreciated how the book doesn’t waste time on fluff. It’s straight to the point, packed with examples, and full of insights you can immediately apply. (whether you’re running a business, leading a team, or just trying to level up personally)
Highly recommend and excited to keep applying the concepts shared!
October 28, 2025
I love the idea of "impossible goals," but it went downhill fast thereafter. He lost me with the endless justification of Elon Musk's strategies to go to Mars. I'm not sure why he picked such a polarizing figure to dedicate an entire chapter to in these times. He could have spent the same time using examples of other successful, non-controversial, business men and women that effectively scaled their goals
On the surface it all sounds great and could be helpful in scaling. However, the more I listen to him, the more I think he's pushing his values, politics, and lifestyle rather than his scaling knowledge. I prefer to read the books he co-authored with Dan Sullivan.
On the surface it all sounds great and could be helpful in scaling. However, the more I listen to him, the more I think he's pushing his values, politics, and lifestyle rather than his scaling knowledge. I prefer to read the books he co-authored with Dan Sullivan.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2025
The Science of Scaling is an honest, straight-forward book about not just thinking, but DOING bigger. Hardy's less is more philosophy is broken down into how to actually do less of the things that distract and more of the things that will cause a massive shift in business. Yes, it involves 'killing your darlings' and not being afraid to pivot people and products, and along with the reflection questions, this can be a useful book for anyone in business at any stage. - Stephanie Thoma, Author of Confident Introvert (this is an advance review after reading an advance copy)
September 20, 2025
Oof. If you want to read a sales pitch with some Musk worship (the Twitter deal was part of his grand plan to get to Mars via a Trump election), references to missionary work, and 101 organizational psych/biz advice (like "cut the customers that don't give you high ROI") from someone that has never actually worked at a "scaling" company, this is for you.
If you're reading this, dear author, I apologize if it seems rude. This is not a good book.
If you're reading this, dear potential reader, run.
If you're reading this, dear author, I apologize if it seems rude. This is not a good book.
If you're reading this, dear potential reader, run.
October 20, 2025
Disappointing overall. It’s an entertaining read with interesting stories but when you finish and pull back and review and ask what did you learn from the book you realize that it was very little useful information overall. It’s another example of what should have been limited to an extended blog post but stretched out into a book. I’m glad I didn’t purchase the hard copy and only had it in Audible. I will be returning this title.
June 30, 2025
The audiobook, available free at scaling dot com, is a great and concise representation of exponential growth.
We live in a world now where all the market dynamics seem to be going exponential and unlocking better and better value for consumers and entrepreneurs.
I appreciate the optimistic vision.
We live in a world now where all the market dynamics seem to be going exponential and unlocking better and better value for consumers and entrepreneurs.
I appreciate the optimistic vision.
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