The Book
Hard work built your company.
What you can't see is why scaling feels so hard.
We reverse-engineered the top 1% of America's fastest-growing bootstrapped companies. They grew 149% per year — no investors, no outside capital. They weren't exceptional people who did extraordinary things. They were ordinary people who saw what everyone else missed. Here's what they found — and what changes when you see it. Foreword by Verne Harnish, author of Scaling Up.
The Research
Everyone has opinions about growth.
This book has proof.
Pete started with every bootstrapped company on the Inc. 5000 from 2015 to 2022 — over 32,000 companies as his dataset. He narrowed to the 324 fastest-growing bootstrapped performers, conducted 100+ interviews with their CEOs and leadership teams across 26 industries, and scraped and analyzed all 324 companies and their primary competitors. He reverse-engineered the top 1% that grew 149% per year without outside capital. Then he identified the 5 patterns they all shared.
Inside the Book
See what you've been missing that the top 1% see clearly.
The Top Performers Discovery
How Pete started with a dataset of 32,000+ companies and narrowed to the top 1% — and why the patterns he reverse-engineered contradicted everything the "experts" were saying.
The 5 Patterns
The five growth drivers every top performer excels in: Team, Customers, Capital, Strategic Execution, and Leadership. Miss one and growth stalls. Nail all five and growth compounds.
BUILD vs. UNLOCK
The two-move framework: build what's missing or unlock what's stuck. Most companies try to BUILD when they should UNLOCK.
Cash Flow Timing
The single most important number in a bootstrapped business. Top performers get paid 5 days before they deliver. Most established companies average +20 to +40. This chapter shows you how to close the gap.
Finding Your #1 Growth Bottleneck
The Growth Diagnostic that identifies the single biggest thing holding your business back — and puts a dollar amount on what it's costing you every month.
The Sprint Model
90-day execution sprints that compound. See measurable ROI in 14 days, not 12 months. The same cadence the top 1% use to maintain 149% annual growth.
What They're Saying
Endorsed by the authors of
Scaling Up, Traction, and The E-Myth.
"This is not a compilation of generic business advice. It's a treasure trove of battle-tested strategies for entrepreneurs who yearn to break free from the pack."
"An unwavering focus on practicality and real-world application... A true testament to the power of internal capital: vision, people, and processes."
"It provides entrepreneurs with the tools they need to escape the trap of working in their business and start working on their business."
Reader Reviews
What readers are saying on Amazon.
"Insightful, Practical, and Immediately Actionable"
"Pete Martin's 'Scale Up Faster' is a rare business book that truly delivers. He explains how the fastest-growing bootstrapped companies actually achieve it, step by step. It's a playbook for leaders who want to build strong, scalable organizations grounded in purpose and performance."
"The 'Good To Great' even small business founders can actually use"
"Better than Good To Great. Instead of studying already large listed companies, Scale Up Faster is a practical guide based on data and in-depth interviews of the top bootstrapped Fast Growth Companies. Pete Martin provides clear and actionable recommendations for the critical vectors for success."
"If you read only one business book this year, make it Scale Up Faster"
"I've read countless business books over my 27 years in business, but Scale Up Faster stands out as the best by far. The author provides a practical, step-by-step roadmap for growing and scaling a business — without sacrificing your vision or selling out to investors. It's a masterclass in entrepreneurship."
"One of the best business scale books ever published"
"As an owner of two US companies who are doggedly focused on scaling, Pete Martin's book is simply excellent. Based on real companies that have scaled, the lessons are valuable and executable. It's one of the best business scale books ever written, and I have read most of them."
"Insightful — necessary for entrepreneurs running lean, high-growth businesses"
"The number one takeaway for me was that these bootstrapped companies sold one thing, one way. They made the necessary tradeoffs to focus. I put this book in the same grouping as Scaling Up by Verne Harnish and The Science of Scaling. Rare company, indeed."
"MUST READ for Business Strategy and growth"
"This was such an amazing book for anybody to get inspired about how to scale their business with some very tangible, easy, but determined steps. It validated many aspects of our business. I literally could not put the book down before I was done with it!"
"A must read for small business owners"
"Pete does an excellent job capturing the trials and tribulations of small businesses struggling to grow. He provides first hand accounts of how successful entrepreneurs overcame challenges and scaled up fast!"
Rick P · Verified Purchase
"What really works in Scaling your organization!"
"Really valuable approach and book, based on thorough analysis on the Scaling Ups and growth eco systems! I am a certified scaling up coach with deep understanding of the concepts and I really appreciated that the author has explored what really makes sense! Amazing work and value!"
Konstantinos Lafkas · Verified Purchase
"Bootstrap your business knowledge"
"Scale Up Faster is an excellent read for any entrepreneur who wants to utilize proven business tactics that will help better manage and grow their business. If you want to learn the best practices from bootstrapped Fast Growth companies, this is your go-to reference book."
JPS · Verified Purchase
About the Author
Pete Martin.
After 25+ years at IBM and SAP, building 6 companies (including one sold to KPMG), and advising 100+ CEOs across 26 industries, Pete spent 3 years reverse-engineering the top 1% of bootstrapped Inc. 5000 companies to discover what separates the fastest-growing bootstrapped businesses from everyone else.
FAQ
Common questions.
Scale Up Faster is the first book on business growth starting from a dataset of 32,000+ companies. Pete Martin narrowed to the 324 fastest-growing bootstrapped companies on the Inc. 5000 (the top 1%), conducted 100+ interviews with their CEOs and leadership teams, analyzed all 324 and their primary competitors, and distilled the 5 patterns they all share. It covers the BUILD/UNLOCK execution framework, strategies to get paid faster than you pay out, and how to find the single biggest thing holding your growth back.
Bootstrapped business owners and CEOs of established companies doing $1M–$25M in revenue who want to grow faster without raising capital. Especially useful if you've tried EOS, Scaling Up, or a business coach and haven't seen the growth acceleration you expected. If you're tired of frameworks designed for venture-backed companies, this book was written for you.
Available on Amazon in Kindle, paperback, and hardcover. You can also get the free audiobook at scaleupfaster.com — no credit card required.
Scaling Up and Traction are excellent frameworks, but they were designed for venture-backed companies with different economics. Scale Up Faster is the first growth methodology built specifically for established bootstrapped companies, backed by the largest study ever conducted on bootstrapped growth. Verne Harnish himself wrote the foreword.
The companies that read this book
will see what the others miss.
Available on Amazon. Free audiobook at scaleupfaster.com. No excuses.
Read the book. Then see your number.
Scale Up Faster gives you the framework. GrowthBrain™ shows you exactly where your company stands. And the Advisory helps you act on it.
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