Michael Hsu Office of Architecture: How To Grow From 17 To 71 In 7 Years (w/ Michael Hsu, Maija Kreishman)

Growing a firm by a dozen employees each year can sound daunting. But the truth is that when you look at growth as a puzzle rooted in organizational structure, you can begin to make steady progress. Michael Hsu Office of Architecture did just that when the growth rate of Austin, Texas caused them to grow the firm from 21 to 78 people in just seven years. By doing things like doubling down on culture, working with diverse clients, and fostering employee growth, they have created a firm that is making an impressive mark.
Growing a firm by a dozen employees each year can sound daunting. But the truth is that when you look at growth as a puzzle rooted in organizational structure, you can begin to make steady progress. Michael Hsu Office of Architecture did just that when the growth rate of Austin, Texas caused them to grow the firm from 21 to 78 people in just seven years. By doing things like doubling down on culture, working with diverse clients, and fostering employee growth, they have created a firm that is making an impressive mark.

Interview Takeaways
  • Grow with your city
  • Hire for talent, not projects
  • Retain your best clients
  • Don’t cave to imposter syndrome
  • Use metrics to select projects
  • Cultivate self-awareness
  • Find a financial consultant
  • Recognize firm inflection points
  • Should you hire a COO
  • Employee growth isn’t one-size-fits-all
  • Pick clients with the same goals
  • Mitigate growing pains with organizational structure
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