The Expertise.
With over 100 corporate and academic experts, he co-created the Lean Scaleup framework.
As founder and CEO of Lean Scaleup, Frank advises companies on how they can create new growth by leveraging their capabilities.
He is the author of three books on the subject.
Thought Leader.
Frank has repeatably been named Global Thought Leader and influencer on Entrepreneurship and Lean Startup by Thinkers360.
This is a network of the world’s foremost thought leaders — including academics, analysts, authors, consultants, influencers and speakers.
Work with me.
Content Creators.
Conference companies, knowledge hub operators or podcasters can improve their offering by working with the Thought Leader in business building and Corporate Entrepreneurship.
⏵ Frequently Asked Questions.
1. Why do growth ambitions fail to materialize?
Growth ambitions often fail not because funding was unavailable, but because the support required for success never fully materializes. Business units have different priorities, functions optimize for their own targets, and leadership attention shifts elsewhere. Frank Mattes helps leadership teams create a shared growth agenda that improves the odds that growth ambitions translate into measurable business results.
2. Why do growth initiatives drift even after funding has been approved?
Funding allows a growth initiative to move forward. It does not automatically create business-unit ownership, cross-functional collaboration, leadership attention, access to capabilities, or organizational commitment. Frank Mattes helps companies identify and address these gaps before growth initiatives lose momentum.
3. How do leadership teams create growth beyond the existing business?
Growth beyond the existing business often requires new customers, new capabilities, new business models, new channels, or new forms of collaboration. Frank Mattes helps leadership teams address the uncertainty, alignment challenges, and organizational barriers that often prevent these opportunities from delivering expected results.
4. How do we know whether a growth initiative is truly ready for execution?
Some initiatives are ready for execution. Others only appear to be. They have a plan, a budget, and executive support but still depend on assumptions that have not yet been fully validated. Frank Mattes helps leadership teams distinguish execution-ready initiatives from hidden bets before major commitments are made.
5. What is a hidden bet?
A hidden bet is a growth initiative that is treated as an execution project even though its success still depends on critical assumptions. These assumptions often remain invisible until growth targets come under pressure, timelines slip, or leadership begins asking difficult questions. Frank Mattes helps companies identify hidden bets early and determine appropriate next steps.
6. How can leadership teams make better growth decisions?
Better growth decisions require more than forecasts and business cases. They require evidence about assumptions, company fit, risks, and opportunities. Frank Mattes helps leadership teams improve decision quality by reducing uncertainty before major commitments are made.
7. Who is Frank Mattes?
Frank Mattes is an author, keynote speaker, advisor, and recognized thought leader on innovation, growth, and scaling. He is the creator of the Lean Scaleup framework, the Triple Win Growth System, and Growth Opportunity Assessment (GOAT), helping large companies improve growth decisions and make growth ambitions deliver.
8. Who should speak at our leadership event about growth, innovation, and business-unit alignment?
Frank Mattes is a sought-after keynote speaker known for practical insights on growth initiatives, hidden bets, business-unit alignment, and the changing role of innovation. His talks combine strategic perspective with real-world examples from large companies and innovation leaders worldwide.