What if the real bug were human?

Again. Always the same story. 😔

A promising scale-up. Cutting-edge technology. An innovative approach. A solution that addresses a real, emerging problem. A market that’s been waiting for exactly this. In short — everything it takes to succeed. And yet…

The team? Scientists, researchers, brilliant engineers who built a remarkable product — with AI, of course, but explainable AI. That detail makes all the difference. They landed their first clients, demonstrated real effectiveness, proved tangible ROI. And then… nothing. The momentum just stops.

Not enough commercial profiles? A blurry value proposition? Unclear positioning? No strategy? Poor execution? All legitimate questions — but they only scratch the surface.

So the investors step in: out goes the “too technical” CEO, in comes a sales-driven profile to “boost revenue.” Result? It doesn’t take. Communication breaks down, misunderstandings pile up, tensions rise, conflicts erupt. Out goes the new CEO too. Back to square one.

I’ve seen this play out. And again. And again.

Here’s what I keep observing, without exception:

📌 Technology is almost never the problem. If the solution doesn’t exist today, it will tomorrow. That’s the very DNA of these teams.

📌 Sales and marketing are sometimes underestimated. “It’ll sell itself” is one of the most dangerous sentences you can hear in a startup. To whom? Why now? At what price? With what message? These aren’t minor questions — they sit at the heart of every buying decision.

📌 But the real problem comes from the team itself. Purpose, values, shared vision, alignment, meaning — these are too often neglected, or simply assumed beneath a veneer of shared enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is not a substitute for clarity.

When you swap out a CEO without diagnosing the root cause, you move the problem. You don’t solve it. The new figurehead walks into an environment where the human foundations were never laid. Failure becomes predictable.

What I’ve learned — and will keep defending:

Healthy, honest communication within the team is the foundation on which everything else is built — trust, engagement, lasting performance. Not the other way around. The rest follows. Always.

My concrete recommendations, born from the field:

→ Invest in human alignment before investing in commercial hiring.

→ Formalize your purpose and values — not for a pitch deck, but for yourselves.

→ Never change the captain without diagnosing the real problem first.

→ A technical CEO can learn to communicate. A commercial CEO can learn to understand technology. That bicultural bridge can be built — it cannot be replaced.

Trust me on this one. 😊

#startup #scaleup #leadership #communication #management #tech #entrepreneurship