MSMP 95: Ravi Sharma on Growth-Focused Entrepreneurship

What Does MSMP 95: Ravi Sharma on Growth-Focused Entrepreneurship Talk About?

In this episode of the Mads Singers Management Podcast, host Mads Singers interviews Ravi Sharma, founder of the digital agency Webomaze. Ravi shares his journey of expanding his business from India to Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing how unexpected circumstances led to new opportunities. He discusses his growth-focused approach to entrepreneurship, the importance of delegation, and why he treats employees as clients. The conversation covers key management principles such as avoiding being the bottleneck, trusting your team, and allowing employees to solve problems independently. Ravi also highlights the value of internal promotions for maintaining culture and showing career progression.

If you don't hire experts, you'll be stuck as the expert, which will create a bottleneck.Mads Singers

Who Is Featured on MSMP 95: Ravi Sharma on Growth-Focused Entrepreneurship?

Ravi Sharma is the founder of Webomaze, a digital agency based in India and Australia that offers marketing, SEO, web design, and mobile app development. Originally from India, Ravi and his team were visiting Australia in March 2020 when the pandemic hit, forcing them to stay. This led to the opening of a Melbourne office and a permanent shift to remote work, a transition he credits to his strong delegation practices. Ravi is a proponent of growth-focused entrepreneurship and believes that a CEO's primary role is to drive growth by trusting their team and fostering a culture of autonomy.

What Are the Key Takeaways From MSMP 95: Ravi Sharma on Growth-Focused Entrepreneurship?

• Entrepreneurs should focus primarily on growth, trusting their team to handle operations through effective delegation.
• Many people struggle with management because they haven't taken time to learn it, but it improves with practice like going to the gym.
• Treating employees as clients builds trust and encourages them to take ownership of their work.
• Internal hires are often better than external ones because they already fit the culture and can replicate it as they advance.
• Providing clear career progression paths motivates employees and shows them they can grow within the company.

Allow them to figure things out for themselves. This will create trust and show that you believe they can figure things out.Ravi Sharma

Is MSMP 95: Ravi Sharma on Growth-Focused Entrepreneurship Worth Listening To?

This episode is highly recommended for entrepreneurs and managers who want to shift their focus from micromanaging to strategic growth. Ravi Sharma's practical insights on delegation, trust, and handling unexpected challenges provide actionable advice that can be applied in any business. The conversation also offers a fresh perspective on remote work and internal promotions, making it valuable for leaders navigating today's changing work environment.

Who Should Listen to MSMP 95: Ravi Sharma on Growth-Focused Entrepreneurship?

• Entrepreneurs
• Small business owners
• Managers and team leaders
• HR professionals

What Are Listeners Saying About This Episode?

My guest for this episode of the Mads Singers Management Podcast, Ravi Sharma, is currently based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, but this time last year, that wasn’t the plan.  His digital agency, Webomaze, which does marketing, SEO, web design, and mobile apps, just to name a few things, was solely based in India at the time.  He and some of his team had come to Australia to see what the market was like to consider doing some business there.  But then, as you know, something happened in March of 2020, and Ravi and his team got stuck.

As time went on and the entire team switched to working from home (something he admits he would never have normally envisioned) they opened up a new office in Melbourne and now they are in India and Australia.  That’s a way to make lemonades out of lemons for sure!

Ravi strongly believes in the delegation (and trusting when you do so) and he says that the system of delegation is what made the transition to remote work for his team that much easier.  His staff handled it on their own, which allowed him to focus on what he thinks his main function in the company is as CEO: growth.  I agreed, telling him I call this the “Don’t be the expert” rule.  If you don’t hire experts, you’ll be stuck as the expert, which will create a bottleneck.  Something else Ravi has as a rule: don’t give your employees solutions.  Allow them to figure things out for themselves.  This will create trust and show that you believe they can figure things out.  I love that mentality.

Ravi clearly understands how to manage, but one of the first things I hear from people when we first start working together on improving their management skills is, “I’m not good at management.”  But often what they really mean is, “I’m not comfortable with management, because I haven’t taken the time to learn about it.”  Managing is like going to the gym: it gets better with practice, and it goes even faster when you have a trainer or coach.

We also share similar philosophies around recruitment.  I believe that with internal hires you know what you are getting.  Ravi agreed, saying that you know the person is already a cultural fit and can act as a replicator of their cultures and competencies as they rise.  He really believes in the importance of showing career progression possibilities: that’s so important because when employees see fellow team members progressing they can see themselves progressing too.

Ravi has a clear focus for himself and a vision for his team and I think that will inspire listeners to make sure they have the same.  Enjoy!

Key Learning Points:

1. Ravi shares what he thinks the primary focus of entrepreneurs should always be - 2:55

2. Mads talks about why people “struggle” with management - 4:45

3. Ravi explains why he considers employees as “clients” as well - 9:36

4. Mads shares the risks of external hires (and the benefits of internal ones) - 11:03

5. Ravi stresses the importance of a path of career progression for your team - 14:20

6. Ravi talks about how Covid shifted his thinking on working from home - 17:00

7. Ravi explains the importance of trust in the delegation - 20:35

8. Ravi talks about why he doesn’t give solutions to his team members - 22:40

Connect with Ravi Sharma

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