Mastering Business Growth: Insights from Mark Abbott, Founder & CEO of Ninety, on Operating Systems, Culture, and Organizational Maturity

In this episode, host Josh Elledge sits down with Mark Abbott, Founder and CEO of Ninety, for a deep dive into business operating systems, organizational culture, and the journey of scaling small and mid-sized companies. Mark—drawing on decades of experience in entrepreneurship, software development, coaching, and workplace culture—explains how leaders can build high-performing, resilient organizations by implementing the right frameworks at the right time. This blog breaks down the episode’s key insights and practical guidance to help business owners navigate their company’s growth stages with clarity and confidence.

Building Mature, Aligned, and High-Trust Organizations

Mark begins by explaining what a Business Operating System (BOS) truly is: a combination of tools, disciplines, and concepts that help organizations stay aligned, accountable, and scalable. He emphasizes that every company already has an operating system—whether intentional or accidental—and the goal is to consciously design one that matches the business’s stage of development. Popular frameworks like EOS, Scaling Up, and The Great Game of Business offer structured paths, but each company must adopt the tools most appropriate for their maturity level.

He breaks down the five stages of business development—Formation, Early Growth, Expansion, Maturity, and Legacy—and stresses that leaders must avoid skipping steps. For example, documenting every process too early is counterproductive; focusing instead on clarity, roles, and early team alignment yields better results. As businesses grow, they often mistake size for maturity, creating organizations that look impressive on the outside but lack foundational discipline internally.

Mark also highlights the importance of culture, trust, and forgiveness. High-performance organizations assume goodwill, set clear expectations, and use trust as a guiding principle—while also acknowledging that not all behaviors should be tolerated. He references research from Dr. Paul Zak to explain how trust chemically fuels team performance and why leaders must foster environments where transparency and accountability thrive. Platforms like Ninety help reinforce these practices by providing tools for meetings, scorecards, vision alignment, and process documentation, ensuring companies build habits that support long-term excellence.

About Mark Abbott

Mark Abbott is the Founder and CEO of Ninety, a platform designed to help small and mid-sized businesses implement and sustain business operating systems. With decades of experience across entrepreneurship, leadership development, and organizational design, Mark has coached countless teams on building trust-based cultures and operational excellence. Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.

About Ninety

Ninety is a comprehensive software platform built to help organizations adopt, implement, and sustain a Business Operating System such as EOS. With tools for meetings, scorecards, rocks, issues, processes, and organizational clarity, Ninety equips leadership teams with everything they need to run a healthy, aligned, and scalable business. The platform supports both coach-led and self-directed implementations and includes extensive resources for long-term growth and accountability.

Links Mentioned in This Episode

Key Episode Highlights

What a Business Operating System (BOS) is and why every company needs one
The five stages of business development and why leaders must progress intentionally
The most common pitfalls when implementing EOS or similar systems
Why organizational maturity has nothing to do with company size
The role of culture, trust, and forgiveness in building high-performing teams
How trust and transparency impact team performance on a biological level
Tools and features inside Ninety that help companies stay aligned and accountable
Actionable steps for assessing your business stage and strengthening culture

Conclusion

Mark Abbott’s insights offer an invaluable roadmap for leaders striving to build strong, scalable, and high-trust organizations. From understanding your company’s stage of development to implementing the right operating systems and cultivating a healthy culture, the path to organizational maturity is both intentional and achievable. With tools like Ninety and the right leadership mindset, businesses can create sustainable systems, empowered teams, and a clear vision for long-term success.

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