In a recent LinkedIn post, Surabhi Shenoy tackles a common challenge faced by many entrepreneurs: the struggle to shift from working “in the business” to working “on the business.” Shenoy, a CEO Coach, highlights the allure and pitfalls of founders remaining too deeply embedded in daily operations, preventing them from focusing on strategic growth.
Shenoy begins by acknowledging the popular advice given to founders:
“Everybody says, ‘work on the business, not in the business.’ But nobody tells founders exactly how to do it.”
The post elaborates on the emotional and practical reasons why founders often find themselves stuck in operational minutiae. Shenoy suggests that there’s a perceived comfort and even a false sense of leadership in being close to every issue, a tendency she admits to experiencing herself.
The Cost of Staying ‘In the Trenches’
According to Shenoy, this constant involvement in day-to-day problems comes at a significant cost. While it might feel productive, it prevents founders from identifying larger patterns and recurring issues. As she points out:
“You keep solving the same things again and again, and miss the larger pattern.”
Shenoy emphasizes that effective leadership, particularly at the CEO level, requires a broader perspective. She uses a powerful analogy to illustrate this point:
“A CEO cannot give direction by standing inside every problem. You need some distance to see the business clearly.”
The ‘Founder’s Freedom Blueprint’
To help founders break free from this operational cycle, Shenoy introduces her “Founder’s Freedom Blueprint.” This resource, described as a course, is designed to provide a systematic approach to building a team capable of managing operations autonomously. This, in turn, allows the founder to redirect their energy towards more strategic activities such as partnerships, business development, and long-term planning.
Shenoy outlines the key components of her blueprint:
- A proven system to build a team that owns operations.
- A focus on enabling founders to concentrate on strategy and growth.
- A structured framework with 5 modules, deliverable in approximately 60 minutes.
- Step-by-step implementation guidance.
The underlying message is that escaping the “trench mentality” is not just about delegation, but about establishing systems and empowering a team to take ownership. Shenoy directly addresses founders who are tired of being the primary problem-solvers, positioning her blueprint as the solution.
Finding Perspective: ‘Balcony’ vs. ‘Trenches’
In her concluding thoughts, Shenoy poses a direct question to her audience, prompting self-reflection on their current operational stance: “Are you in the trenches or on the balcony right now?” This rhetorical question encapsulates the core of her message – the critical need for founders to gain perspective and operate from a strategic vantage point rather than being perpetually mired in operational details. By encouraging founders to move to the ‘balcony,’ Shenoy advocates for a shift in focus that is essential for sustainable business growth and personal effectiveness.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Surabhi Shenoy on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on July 13, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →