{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Growthitect","title":"Why Word of Mouth Isn’t a Growth Strategy (with Rens Hayes)","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2353,"description":"#37: Most architects and engineers say their work comes from word of mouth. But few ever ask the follow-up question: what are people actually saying about us?\n\n\nIn this episode, I sit down with Rens Hayes, Co-Founder and Principal of H+O Structural Engineering, to unpack why relying solely and passively on word of mouth is one of the most dangerous habits in the A&E industry. We dig into how most firms unintentionally commoditize themselves, what it really means to “drive” word of mouth instead of hoping for it, and how to turn your reputation into a scalable growth engine.\n\nRens shares how he and his partner built H+O from scratch into a national firm and how they’ve used brand, content, and long-term thinking to escape the scarcity mindset that traps so many firms.\n\nLearn more about H&O Structural Engineering: https://h-o.engineering/\nConnect with Rens on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renshayes/\nListen to the Design Development podcast: https://h-o.engineering/podcast/\nWork with Tyler: Send the word “Grow” to hello@growthitect.com \n\n⸻\n\nWhat You’ll Learn:\n\n\n(00:31) Why “word of mouth” isn’t a real growth strategy\n(01:10) How most firms get commoditized by being “relationship businesses”\n(02:00) The question every firm should ask: what are people actually saying about us?\n(03:15) How Rens built H+O Structural Engineering into a premium brand\n(04:25) Why business strategy matters more than technical skill for long-term success\n(06:44) The blind spot that keeps architects and engineers stuck in low-fee work\n(07:45) How competitor-based pricing kills growth and profit\n(09:39) Why focusing only on keeping people “busy” keeps firms broke\n(10:32) The difference between solving for income vs. building enterprise value\n(12:10) How scarcity and short-term thinking show up inside firms\n(13:41) What a decade of compounding looks like—and why patience wins\n(14:26) Why H&O grew by saying “no” to the bottom 20% of work\n(16:59) How most firms climb one tier at a time,...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/vrZEnTJgTYyr60E_GIoOUN4YACnIsY99JE3mBLzC2tI/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS80YzU4/NzNkNGJjOGFiYTZh/YTVlOGJmNDVmYjVl/ZGQ4Yy5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}