Letter to My Younger Self: 5 Principles That Would Have Transformed My Business from the Start

If I had to extract just a few essential truths from the overwhelming flood of business advice, courses, and books - and send them to myself 20 years ago - these would be the principles I'd choose.

That’s not to say everything else is useless. But these five should always be front and center. They are the foundation - priorities that make the path of entrepreneurship less exhausting, more sustainable, and mentally healthier. These aren’t about “quick wins.” They’re about long-term resilience - what keeps both the company and its founder afloat for decades.

• Who You Build With Matters More Than What You Build

A company may grow for decades, but its true quality is never just about the product - it’s about the people around it. With reliable, rational partners, you can build solid, sustainable systems.

But if you’re working alongside someone driven by chronic frustration, fear, or constant dissatisfaction, even success starts to feel like a problem.

The emotional state of your partner eventually becomes the emotional climate of the entire company. That either supports your strategy - or slowly destroys it from within.

• Don’t Limit the Business - Outgrow It

A business can only grow to the ceiling set by its owner’s skills and vision. Growth happens when the founder remains the most open person in the room—open to new ideas, new tools, new people.

The founder doesn’t need to be the smartest—just the most curious. Their role is to expand the horizon, not to prove they already know everything.

When the founder creates space for growth, the team rises with them. When the founder closes off, the business stalls.

• The Business Should Not Depend on You

Your energy and charisma can launch a business - but only structure and systems can sustain it.

Invest your time in building reliable processes, not just in daily “hands - on” decisions. Don’t just invest your presence - invest in mechanisms that work without you.

Only then will the business continue to grow even when you're not in the room.

• Learn to Speak the Language of Numbers

Financial models and data analytics reveal the truth - free from emotion.

If you make decisions based on instinct instead of information, you're not managing a business - you’re managing your intuition.

Numbers are the language your business uses to talk to you. The sooner you understand it, the fewer costly mistakes you'll make.

• Real Leadership Requires Letting Go

You can’t manage effectively if you’re afraid to cut ties - with people, projects, or processes that drain energy or deliver little value.

Sometimes, a strategic ending brings more growth than continuing out of habit or loyalty.

This applies not just to employees but entire business directions. If a project becomes unmanageable, delivers no results, or demands disproportionate resources - it’s better to let it go.

Closing something at the right time frees up energy for what truly matters.

These principles won’t promise you fast success - but they’ll save you years of wasted time, energy, and health. They give your business a real chance to grow - not on emotion, but on sound, mature decisions.

Businesses aren’t destroyed by competitors or crises. They fall apart because of fatigue, chaos, and misplaced priorities.

These are my five rules.

Ihar Lahotski | Strategic Projects & Business Planning Lead

Business Development | MercerPl | +48 504 236 955 (WhatsApp)