In the world of entrepreneurship, few voices resonate as profoundly as Michael Gerber’s. As the author of the seminal book the E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It, Gerber has spent decades dismantling the myths that trap aspiring business owners.
At the heart of his philosophy is a stark reality check: Is your business built to thrive without you, or does it crumble in your absence? To illustrate this, Gerber poses a thought-provoking hypothetical, the “coma test.” Imagine slipping into a coma for six months. When you wake up, what does your business look like?
At first glance, the question feels dramatic. But that is exactly the point. Gerber is not trying to predict a medical emergency. He is forcing owners to confront a deeper truth about how dependent their company is on them personally.
We’ve heard about single points of failure, are you one of them?
Gerber’s E-Myth (short for “Entrepreneurial Myth”) argues that most people start businesses not as true entrepreneurs, but as technicians. These are skilled workers who love their craft but lack the systems to scale. A baker opens a bakery because they adore baking, not because they are experts in operations, marketing, or finance. Without structured processes, the business becomes an extension of the owner, demanding constant personal involvement. This owner-dependency is a ticking time bomb.
Enter the coma scenario. If you are the linchpin, the one handling sales calls, troubleshooting issues, and making every decision, your six-month absence could spell disaster. Customers might flee due to inconsistent service. Employees could scramble without clear guidelines, leading to errors, low morale, or mass exodus. Suppliers might go unpaid, inventory could pile up or dwindle, and cash flow might dry up entirely. Upon waking, you might find a shell of your former enterprise: revenues plummeted, debts mounting, and your dream reduced to ruins. Gerber warns that this is not just bad luck.
It is the inevitable outcome of a “job” disguised as a business.
Contrast this with a system-driven enterprise, Gerber’s ideal model. Inspired by franchises like McDonald’s, where every outlet operates identically regardless of the owner, these businesses run on documented processes, training manuals, and delegated roles. Employees are not guessing. They are following a playbook. Automation handles routine tasks, metrics track performance, and leadership is distributed. In the coma test, such a business hums along. Your team steps up, maintaining quality and innovation. Sales continue, operations stabilize, and growth might even accelerate without your micromanagement. Awakening, you would see a thriving entity, perhaps even stronger, proving its independence.
So, how do you build a coma-proof business? Gerber advises shifting mindsets: Work on your business, not in it. Start by documenting every process, from customer onboarding to inventory management. Hire for roles, not personalities, and train relentlessly. Implement key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor health remotely. Cultivate a culture of accountability where the business serves as its own entity, not your personal fiefdom. Tools like CRM software, project management apps, and outsourced services can amplify this resilience.
Build a team around you that can operate and grow the business without you. Easier said than done.
NOTE: Achieving this will also increase the value of your business.
Gerber’s Coma test is not morbid. It is motivational. It forces introspection: Are you building a legacy or a liability? In today’s volatile world, with burnout and unexpected life events all too common, a self-sustaining business is not a luxury. It is essential. Wake up to the truth: Design your enterprise to outlast you, and you will not only survive but soar.