Subtract to Multiply: The Founder's Playbook for Strategic Subtraction

This talk explains "The Addition Fallacy": the hidden belief that more activity equals more growth. It gives founders a simple system for Strategic Subtraction. Learn to cut what's holding you back and multiply your impact by doing less, not more.

Questions:

1. Why does all my hard work seem to create more chaos than growth? (And how do I break free from "The Addition Fallacy"?)
2. What is a reliable system for saying "no" to good ideas so I can focus on the truly great ones?
3. How can I subtract work from my plate, and my team's, while actually accelerating results and rebuilding confidence?

Get Ready to Act: This is more than a talk; it's a workshop. We will move directly from theory to practice. You will be challenged to identify one project, task, or meeting you can strategically subtract this week to immediately reclaim your focus and energy. Don't just leave with notes, leave with your first win against the Addition Fallacy already on the board.

Michael Mosseri isn't a theorist; he's a multi-time SaaS founder who got caught in this trap and built a system to escape. He’s not here to tell you to "hustle harder." He’s here to teach you the disciplined art of Strategic Subtraction.

The Addition Fallacy vs. Strategic Subtraction

• The addition fallacy is a cognitive bias where founders focus on tangible, visible tasks and additions, while undervaluing invisible costs such as lost focus and missed progress.
• Michael introduced the concept of Strategic Subtraction as the antidote: intentionally removing distractions and non-critical tasks to amplify meaningful results.
• He shared a personal story about his burnout and eventual realization of the need to subtract rather than add, catalyzed by joining a peer accountability group and receiving coaching.

Interactive Workshop: The Founder's Playbook for Strategic Subtraction

Step 1: Commit to the Critical

• Participants were asked to perform a "brain dump" of current projects/priorities from their teams.
• They were instructed to rank these projects and draw a line beneath the top three to identify "not-right-now" tasks.
• Discussion included clarity on granularity: focus on projects rather than daily tasks.
• Participants shared reflections on this process, acknowledging difficulties with multiple half-finished projects and the tendency to spread focus too thin.

Step 2: Apply the Green Light Protocol (Decision-Making Checklist)

• Michael shared a personal checklist (GRIP: Gain, Relevance, Investment risk, Plan) to evaluate new opportunities before saying "yes."
  • Gain: Specific measurable benefits (revenue, time saved).
  • Relevance: Alignment with the company’s North Star or highest priority.
  • Investment risk: Full cost including money, time, and focus.
  • Plan: First three steps of execution plus a kill-switch date for re-evaluation.
• Participants were encouraged to retrospectively apply this to ongoing tasks.
• Example discussion on a website rebuild highlighted how even large projects should be evaluated through this framework.

Step 3: The Blind Spot Buster

• Michael emphasized the importance of external perspective to overcome personal blind spots.
• Recommended scheduling a 30-minute conversation with a trusted mentor, coach, or peer outside the company.
• During this meeting, founders should articulate their biggest challenge and ask: "What am I missing?" without defending or justifying.
• This external accountability was described as critical to long-term progress and avoiding repeated mistakes.

Personal Case Study & Final Reflection

• Michael shared his journey with a back-office real estate transaction software company, where over-customization led to a diluted product ("cruise ship" analogy).
• The transition from engineer-founder to CEO required a conscious shift to delegating and focusing on culture and strategic priorities.
• Emphasized the continuous nature of change and the importance of coaching and accountability.
• Encouraged attendees to trade chaos of motion for clarity of momentum by focusing on fewer, more impactful projects.

Q&A and Discussion Highlights

• Clarification that the "trusted person" for external perspective should ideally be outside the company (coach, peer group).
• Emphasis on the value of mastermind groups and peer accountability for clarifying thinking and sustaining focus.
• Appreciation for the "What am I missing?" framing to maximize coaching sessions.
• Discussion of how to measure successful delegation during the engineer-to-CEO transition, focusing on increased leadership time versus hands-on work.
• Participants expressed intent to apply strategic subtraction tools and frameworks.

Key Takeaways

• Growth does not come from adding more features, projects, or meetings; it comes from strategic subtraction.
• Founders must identify their critical few priorities and systematically say "no" to distractions using the Green Light Protocol.
• External perspective via coaching or peer groups is essential to uncover blind spots and maintain focus.
• The transition from engineer to CEO requires a clear shift in how time and energy are spent, with a focus on leadership and company-wide goals.
• Practical tools and homework from the session include ranking priorities, filtering new opportunities, and scheduling a blind spot-busting meeting.

Action Items for Attendees

• Use the workbook exercises to identify and rank top priorities.
• Develop and apply a green light protocol checklist before committing to new opportunities.
• Schedule a 30-minute conversation with a trusted external person to gain insight into blind spots.
• Reflect on personal founder roles and delegation effectiveness for leadership growth.

Resources

• The Strategic Subtraction Workbook PDF
• Enquiring minds might want to know... but what was the lazy river answer? If you need to know follow this link to the resorts webpage! Thanks to Michael for being a good sport!