Why 2x Planning Fails — and How to Build a 10x Business

Several years ago, I was coaching a leadership team that couldn’t see much beyond the next 12 months. They were strong operators running a healthy business, but they were hungry for real growth. In one of our sessions, I introduced the concept of 10x from Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy’s book 10x Is Easier Than 2x. Once they shifted their lens, the conversation changed immediately. They could finally see their three‑year‑and‑beyond future, and it looked dramatically different when viewed through a 10x focus.

The 2x trap isn’t lazy. It’s just familiar. Most teams default to adding more: more initiatives, more complexity, more effort. But the kind of growth we’re talking about when we build a 3‑Year Picture or set a 10‑Year Target doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from doing less, better.

That’s the real value of 10x thinking. It forces focus, sheds complexity, and clarifies the few things that truly move the organization forward. Let’s talk about it.

Why 2x Planning Means More Work with Less Progress

2x planning stacks more on top of what worked (or didn’t work) last year without questioning whether the structure can keep up with the kind of growth you’re wanting.

As a result, you take on too many Rocks and start tracking double the measurables. You assign more To-Dos across Seats that are already full. The team ends up working harder, but the results don’t scale with the effort. Not to mention, you risk burning out your team.

2x thinking tells you to push harder and do more, but when your team is already running at capacity, that pressure doesn’t produce smarter or better execution. It just adds weight.

The real problem with 2x thinking is that it skips the hard work of reflection and reassessment. It doesn’t challenge your Accountability Chart. It doesn’t force clarity around capacity or ownership. And it rarely pauses to ask, “Is this still the best way to scale?”

Instead of helping your team work smarter, it just creates complexity, and that complexity limits how far your business can go.

What’s the Real Difference Between 10x and 2x Thinking?

Dan Sullivan says it best:

2x is about doing more. 10x is about doing differently.

When you plan for 2x growth, you usually assume the structure, seats, and systems that got you here just need more fuel. You think, "Let’s just do what we did last year, but a little faster, a little better."

But 10x thinking forces constraint. You can’t get there with the same assumptions or same structure. You have to simplify with intention and be willing to make hard calls. You have to choose and prioritize what matters most, and that also means you have to stop doing things that no longer serve your vision. The question becomes: What changes will take us the farthest?

10x doesn’t mean ten times the work. It means removing the distractions, habits, and complexity that keep your team from scaling. It’s not additive thinking — it’s subtractive. That “Less is More” thinking is where the breakthrough happens.

That’s why 10x thinking, paradoxically, is often simpler than 2x growth. It demands clarity and simplicity.

How Does EOS® Help Teams Think and Execute 10x?

10x growth isn’t about setting ten times the goals. It’s about getting ten times the clarity on what’s going to move your business forward. EOS® helps leadership teams get there by providing a structured way to think differently, prioritize better, and execute with discipline.
If your team is ready to move beyond 2x thinking, here’s how EOS helps you build a 10x plan that will give you real, compounding progress:

1. Start with your 10-Year Target.

Anchor your long-term vision. 10x execution begins by deciding what “winning” really looks like a decade from now. It forces your leadership team to think beyond incremental gains and align around a future that’s both bold and focused.

2. Use the 3-Year Picture to simplify.

Define what must be true in three years to be on track for your 10-Year Target. Then map out your 1-Year Plan to decide what’s realistic now. This forces you to make choices. You can’t do everything, so get clear on what matters most.

3. Revisit your Accountability Chart before you set Rocks.

You can’t execute 10x inside a 2x structure. Review The Accountability Chart® and ask: Do we have the right Seats? Do we have the right people in them? Are there clear handoffs and no overlapping roles? Remember, structure first, people second.

4. Set Rocks that reflect your 10x priorities.

Most teams either set too many Rocks or choose Rocks that are too safe. This quarter, choose the few (usually 3–7) that will truly move you toward your 3-Year Picture. Make them SMART and make sure every Rock has one, and only one, owner.

5. Use IDS® every week to solve issues to permanence.

A 10x plan is only as strong as your ability to remove obstacles. Don’t let issues stack up and repeat. Use the Level 10 Meeting® to solve problems at their core so you aren’t doing repeat work. The best solve is often the simplest.

6. Track execution in your Scorecard.

If you don’t review your Scorecard weekly, you can’t course-correct in time when things go off track. Convert your key priorities into measurables, then review them every week to spot problems early.

7. Delegate and Elevate® to create capacity.

10x isn’t about doing more yourself. It’s about making the space for you to do what you do best — and the same goes for the rest of your team. Use the Delegate and Elevate tool to get tasks off their plate and yours so everyone can operate in their Unique Ability®.

This is how EOS turns 10x from a mindset into a practical, shared operating system. It gives teams a consistent way to focus, align, and execute, quarter after quarter, year after year.

Building a 10x Business Starts with a Better Operating System

No more chasing 2x results with 2x effort. When your tools, meetings, Scorecard, and Rocks all work together, 10x execution becomes both possible and sustainable.

10x thinking is powerful, but without a system to support it, it stays theoretical. EOS gives you the structure to simplify, prioritize, and execute what matters most. And Ninety gives you the place to run it all.

From your 10-Year Target to your Rocks, Scorecard, and Level 10 Meetings®, Ninety brings your entire operating system into one platform where everything connects. Everything lives in one place, so your team can stay focused and aligned without complexity.

If you’re ready to stop recycling the same plan and start building something truly better, anchor your 10x execution inside EOS, and run it in Ninety.

Try Ninety now and see how a focused operating system turns 10x thinking into 10x performance.