Breaking The Bottleneck - Episode 4: Which Path Are You On? The Three Implementation Realities
This article is Part 4 of "Breaking the Bottleneck," an 8-episode series on key person dependency risk and organizational resilience.
In this episode, we help you identify which organizational context you're in. Your path forward depends on whether you're a startup, an established company with low technology adoption, or an established company with high technology adoption. Each path requires a different approach.
Previous episodes in this series:
Next episode: "Prevention and Cure” is coming soon.
Here's something critical: the solution to key person dependency is not one-size-fits-all.
The approach a 35-person startup needs is completely different from the approach a 200-person company needs. And both are different from the approach a 1.000-person organization needs.
Why? Because the underlying dynamics are different.
A startup is creating systems from scratch. They're in preemption mode. They can build the right habits now, before key person dependency becomes entrenched.
An established company with low technology adoption already has key person dependency entrenched. They're in cure mode. They need to untangle the knot, rebuild trust, and create new systems while the old ones are still running.
An established company with high technology adoption has a different problem. They have systems and tools, but key people are hidden inside those systems. The bottleneck isn't visible in the org chart. It's embedded in the software.
These are three completely different problems. They require three completely different solutions.
Path 1: The Startup (Seed to Series A)
Signs you're on this path:
You have 20-80 people
You're growing 50%+ per year
The founder is still involved in day-to-day decisions
You have high technical capability but low organizational maturity
You're probably using some collaboration tools (Slack, GitHub, Jira) but not a full knowledge management system
Your processes are emerging, not standardized
You don't have key person dependency yet, but you're creating the conditions for it
Your situation: you have a huge advantage: you can prevent key person dependency from forming in the first place. You're building your organizational architecture right now. You can build it right.
The challenge: you have limited resources (time, money, people). You can't implement heavy processes. Everything needs to be lightweight and embedded in your daily workflow.
Your goal: design systems from scratch that prevent key person dependency from forming as you scale.
Path 2: The Established Company with Low Tech
Signs you're on this path:
You have 50+ people
You've been around for 3+ years
You have key person dependency already (you know who they are)
You're probably using basic tools (email, spreadsheets, maybe some project management)
Your processes are informal or poorly documented
Your people are burned out
You've tried generic solutions (documentation, cross-training) and they haven't worked
You have limited tech infrastructure and limited budget for technology
Your situation: you're in cure mode. You have an entrenched problem. Key person dependency has become part of your culture. People are used to going to the expert when they have a problem. Knowledge is hoarded (unconsciously).
The challenge: you need to change behavior and culture while still running the business. You can't shut down and rebuild. You need to untangle the knot while it's still tied.
Your goal: build low-tech, sustainable solutions that reduce key person dependency without requiring significant technology investment.
Path 3: The Established Company with High Tech
Signs you're on this path:
You have 100+ people
You have significant technology infrastructure (multiple tools, systems, platforms)
You probably use collaboration tools (Slack, Teams, Asana, Jira, Confluence, etc.)
You probably have some AI or automation tooling
You have standardized processes (at least on paper)
But you still have key people embedded in those systems
Your key person dependency is hidden inside the technology
People don't realize they're dependent on specific people because the dependency is buried in systems and workflows
Your situation: your systems are sophisticated, but they've crystallized the key person dependency inside them. A specific person is the only one who really understands how the system works. Or a specific person is the hub that all communication flows through. Or a specific person knows all the shortcuts and exceptions.
The challenge: you need to identify the hidden bottlenecks, then use your technology to eliminate them.
Your goal: use your existing technology (and add new technology where needed) to extract knowledge from people and embed it in systems.
Prevention vs. Cure
There's a fundamental difference between paths:
Path 1 is about prevention. You're building the organization right from the start so key person dependency never forms. You have the advantage of time and the ability to shape culture before it's entrenched.
Paths 2 and 3 are about cure. You already have key person dependency. You need to fix it. But the approach is different because the organizational context is different.
In Path 2, you're working with limited technology. Your solution needs to be simple, sustainable, and culturally aligned. You're changing behavior through relationships and communication.
In Path 3, you're working with abundant technology. Your solution is to use technology to make the hidden people visible, then automate or redistribute their work.
Why Your Current Solutions Failed
This is also why your current solutions have probably failed.
If you're on Path 2 (established, low-tech), and you tried to implement Confluence documentation or a cross-training program, it failed because you tried a Path 1 solution. You don't have the technical infrastructure or the organizational maturity to support those solutions.
If you're on Path 3 (established, high-tech), and you tried to implement documentation or cross-training, it probably failed because the bottleneck isn't visible to you. You're treating it as if it's a knowledge problem when it's actually a system design problem.
If you're on Path 1 (startup), and you're implementing heavy processes or extensive documentation, you're wasting resources and time. You should be preventing the problem, not preparing to fix it.
What Comes Next
In the next episode we provide specific, implementable solutions for your path:
For Startups: How to Build Systems That Don't Create Key Person Risk
How to prevent key person dependency from forming as you scale
Lightweight processes that work for small teams
When and how to introduce documentation without slowing growth
Cross-training built into your culture from day one
For Established Companies with Low Tech: Documentation, Cross-Training, and Redundancy
How to untangle existing key person dependency
Low-tech solutions that work without heavy investment
How to change culture and behavior
How to communicate the change to people (including the key people themselves)
For Established Companies with High Tech: Auditing Systems for Hidden Key Persons
How to identify the bottlenecks hidden in your systems
Using AI and automation to extract and embed knowledge
Redesigning workflows to eliminate hidden dependencies
How to avoid creating new bottlenecks
Mismatched Solutions Fail
Before you pick your path, a critical warning: if you implement the solution for the wrong path, it will fail.
If you're a startup and you implement the heavy processes designed for a large company, you'll slow down too much and lose your competitive edge.
If you're an established low-tech company and you try to implement the high-tech solutions, you'll waste money on tools nobody uses.
If you're a high-tech company and you try to implement low-tech solutions, you'll miss the actual problem (which is hidden in your systems).
Choose the right path for your situation. Read the right episode. Then implement the solution designed for your context.
Ready to Assess Your Situation?
If you're unsure which path you're on, or if you want a customized assessment of your key person dependency risk and which solution approach will work best for your situation, I offer a free 30-minute consultation.
Next in the Series
The next episode is comprised of three parts, each tailored to your path. Choose the one that matches your situation:
For Startups - If you have 10-80 people and want to prevent key person dependency before it forms
For Established Companies with Low Tech - If you have 50-500 people, low technology adoption, and key person dependency already present
For Established Companies with High Tech - If you have 100+ people, significant technology infrastructure, and hidden bottlenecks in your systems
Follow me on LinkedIn or subscribe to ONUS Advisory updates to be notified when the next episode is released.
About Francesco Malmusi
I'm Francesco Malmusi, founder and C-level operator. One of the most common mistakes I see is organizations trying to implement solutions that don't match their context. A solution that works perfectly for a startup will fail in an established company. A solution that works for a low-tech company will fail in a high-tech company.
The key is matching the solution to your situation. If you want help figuring out which path you're on and which solution will work for you, let's talk.
