Growing a company is like Katamari Damacy (an 11 year old repost)

Growth is about momentum and being able to attract more opportunity. As a company grows, you create more and more gravity. The increased gravity helps you attract more and better opportunities (especially if you grow with values and a commitment to people). But you do need to be mindful of how you grow to make sure you are picking up the right influences on your journey. You also need to be aware of where are you in that journey, so you don't do too much...or too little.

On that topic, I just rediscovered a blog post that I wrote 11 years ago. I decided to post it mostly untouched except for updating some links, adding more context about Katamari Damacy, and generally cleaning it up for 2023. I'm curious if these thoughts from 11 years ago are still relevant and impactful today.

So, here it is, and let me know what you think...

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If you’ve never played Katamari Damacy — a game first released in 2004 for Playstation 2 with modern versions still available on Nintendo Switch — you should check it out. It has one of the craziest intros ever. But, basically you are weird looking character in a green suit and you roll around this adhesive ball - your katamari. As the ball rolls over objects that are smaller than it, it picks up those objects. Thus the ball gets bigger meaning that you can now pick up bigger objects. You start picking up paperclips and you end up picking up entire skyscrapers.

This is the best metaphor for being an entrepreneur I have found. Your startup is your katamari and it starts really small…it’s just an idea. But then you start really pushing this ball around. You pick up some research, some new ideas, a name, some branding, a domain name. You add some code or IP to the ball, and it’s bigger, so now you pick up another teammate, which maybe almost doubles your katamari’s size.

You keep pushing this ball around and you keep making it bigger and bigger. You raise money, you launch a product, you get customers. Maybe your katamari will get so big you too can pick up a skyscraper. Or maybe your katamari will become big enough to be seen by others that are also pushing around a katamari and they will roll over you.

There are three lessons I get from this.

1. You have to constantly be aware of the size of your katamari. You can’t spend time trying to pick up things that are too far beyond your reach. If you do, it’ll stop you dead in your tracks. So don’t try to raise money if you don’t have a product. Don’t woo a developer if you can’t offer anything serious. Don’t quit your job if you haven’t tested the idea. Instead focus on the things that are nearby that will make your katamari grow the fastest…based on what you can currently absorb.

2. Momentum. Never stop pushing the ball. The only way to get a startup going is to keep the ball moving. Never stop. If the katamari is idle, it can’t get bigger. The trick is to find big wins that will accelerate your growth. So don’t waste time on little things and distractions that aren’t a meaningful contribution to your growth. Most importantly resign yourself to the fact that you are never done…ever. You are never ever done.

3. There are lots of katamaris in play. Many people are out there also pushing one around. Some already have huge katamaris and they might one day acquire you. This is good. Some other people might just be starting out and their katamaris are also still small. These are your potential partners and support group. They will help you figure out what to do next. Or maybe you can join forces, but then the trick is to figure out how to connect katamaris so that everyone can get bigger together.

In the end, Katamari Damacy is not just a fun (if also insanely weird game), but is also a good metaphor to keep in mind on our company growing adventures.