The "Stop Doing" List
Introduction
Every December, boardrooms and home offices fill with whiteboards covered in ambitious goals for the year ahead. We vow to launch new product lines, open new territories, and implement complex new software. It is natural to associate growth with more.
But in the rush to add more to our plates, we rarely ask the most critical strategic question: What are we going to stop doing?
We have navigated the fast-paced startup landscape for over a decade, and if there is one lesson we earned from the "School of Hard Knocks," it is that complexity is the silent killer of scalability. In the world of M&A, complexity doesn't just cause stress—it dilutes your valuation.
This year, before you write your resolutions, we challenge you to write out your "Stop Doing" list. Often, the fastest way to accelerate growth—and maximize your eventual exit value—is to cut the weight that is holding you back.
The "Addition Bias" Trap
Human beings have a natural "Addition Bias." When we face a problem, our instinct is to add a solution—a new process, a new hire, or a new tool—rather than removing the friction that caused the problem in the first place.
For business owners, this leads to a bloated operation. You end up with 15 half-finished initiatives rather than three highly profitable ones. While this might feel like "hustle," a potential buyer looks at that complexity and sees risk. They aren't paying for your potential to do 100 things; they are paying for your proven ability to do a few things profitably and consistently.
Why "Stopping" Matters for Your Exit
Even if you aren't planning to sell in 2026, you should be building your business as if you are. A "Stop Doing" list is essential for three reasons:
Operational Drag: Every legacy process you keep alive "just because" eats up resources.
Buyer Perception: Buyers look for lean, efficient machines. A streamlined operation signals a well-managed business, which builds immediate trust.
The Founder’s Time: If you want to work on the business (strategy) instead of in it (tactics), you must stop doing low-leverage work. This is the only way to achieve the "Operational Independence" that buyers pay a premium for.
The Framework: Three Categories to Cut
Ready to purge? Here are the three areas where we most often see owners leaving money on the table by doing too much.
1. The Unprofitable Clients & SKUs We often see businesses holding onto clients or products that generate revenue but bleed profit.
The Stop: Fire the bottom 10% of clients who complain the most and pay the least. Stop manufacturing the SKU that has high inventory costs but low turnover.
The Strategy: This aligns with prioritizing "Quality Over Quantity". A buyer will scrutinize your revenue streams; they want to see high-quality, recurring revenue, not empty calories.
2. The "Zombie" Meetings & Reports
The Stop: Audit your calendar. Which recurring meetings have no agenda? Which reports are generated weekly but haven’t been opened in months? Stop them.
The Strategy: This frees up your team to focus on high-impact work and fosters the cross-functional collaboration needed for growth.
3. The Manual Workarounds
The Stop: Stop using spreadsheets where software exists. Stop manual data entry. Stop manual scheduling and calls.
The Strategy: If it can’t be automated, can it be eliminated? Moving away from manual processes is key to building the "Unified Data Infrastructure" that modern businesses—and acquirers—demand.
Execution: The One-In, One-Out Rule
How do you actually implement this?
Start by reviewing your P&L. Highlight expense lines that haven't generated ROI in six months. Then, have your leadership team track their time for one week to identify the "energy vampires."
Finally, adopt the One-In, One-Out Rule for 2026: If you add a new strategic goal or initiative to the plan, you must explicitly agree on what old goal gets paused or deleted. This ensures you are concentrating your resources rather than diluting them.
Case Study: Escaping the "Call Center" Trap
We are actively working with a business right now that found itself stuck in a classic "Manual Workaround" loop. Their highly capable team was spending the majority of their salary hours reacting to a constant stream of inbound calls, which almost always fell into three buckets:
Administrative Triage: Managing and submitting complaints or general inquiries.
Scheduling: Going back and forth to book times on a calendar.
The "Mundane": Answering questions about hours or rates—information that was already clearly listed on their website or page.
This is the definition of operational drag. Instead of thinking proactively about how to grow the business or improve the product, the team was tied up fielding calls that required zero strategic thought.
The "Stop" Solution: The owner put "manual call handling" on their "Stop Doing" list. But stopping doesn't mean ignoring customers; it means leveraging technology as a catalyst for efficiency.
Through our new offering, Prospera Automations, we developed a custom AI Agent to take over these workflows. This tool doesn't just route calls; it actively manages the inquiries, books the appointments directly, and answers the mundane FAQs instantly.
The Result: The business didn't just save time; they upgraded their talent utilization. The salary and energy previously wasted on being a "human answering machine" has been redirected toward high-leverage work that actually drives the business forward.
Conclusion
Growth isn't always about doing more; it's about doing less, better.
By ruthlessly eliminating the tasks, clients, and products that don't serve your ultimate vision, you aren't shrinking—you are refining. You are moving from a frantic operator to a strategic owner.
What are you leaving behind in 2025?
Before you finalize your 2026 strategic plan, sit down with your team and ask the hard questions. If you need help auditing your operations for maximum efficiency or want to understand how a "Stop Doing" list impacts your valuation, let's talk.
About the Author: Bianca Penuelas is a Co-founder and COO at Prospera Ventures, an M&A firm dedicated to helping business owners maximize value, plan successful exits, and achieve strategic growth. With expertise in business operations, strategic planning, and professional development, she is passionate about empowering entrepreneurs to secure their legacy and achieve their financial goals.