Scaling smarter, not harder with Wiley Jones

After the First Million

Turning challenges into opportunities is the foundation of every great business. Wiley Jones’s journey to entrepreneurship wasn’t driven by a dream to start a company—it was a relentless need to solve a problem. As CEO and co-founder of Doss, Wiley turned his background as an electrical engineer into a mission to address inefficiencies he encountered firsthand. Along the way, he discovered that building a company also involves building a team, culture, and vision that scales.In this episode, Wiley shares how he tackles startup growth challenges, from building a culture of accountability and scaling demand generation to balancing personal priorities with professional goals. His insights offer founders practical advice on growing their businesses while staying true to their values.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. Share your vision clearly and often: Regularly communicate your goals and direction to ensure your team understands their role in achieving them. It turns big-picture ideas into actionable steps everyone can contribute to.
2. Empower your team to solve problems: Shift from doing it all yourself to enabling others to take ownership. Build trust, set clear expectations, and guide your team toward shared success to drive sustainable growth.
3. Set clear standards and enforce accountability: Define expectations, follow through, and address gaps quickly. Consistent accountability keeps teams motivated, maintains culture, and keeps progress moving in the right direction.

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Meet Wiley Jones
(01:20) How solving a problem led to starting a company
(03:00) Problem-driven entrepreneurs versus passion-driven
(08:00) Embedding founder values into company culture
(10:12) Translating values into actionable behaviors
(12:19) The role of incentives in reinforcing company culture
(13:36) Why repetition is key to effective leadership
(15:22) Challenges of enforcing accountability in larger organizations
(20:06) The importance of addressing and resolving conflicts directly
(24:05) Balancing speed, accuracy, and collaboration in decision-making
(31:35) Evolving leadership styles and building complementary teams
(38:47) The challenge of balancing business growth with family life