When you are trying to win a piece of work that matters, it is easy to believe the decision comes down to the price. You work out a number, you send it across, and you wait to find out whether it landed on the right side of what the client had in mind.

Price matters. But it is rarely the whole story, and when the work is worth winning, it is often not even the main part of it.

There is a point in many businesses where the founder becomes the answer to every question. Is this ready to send? Should we agree to this? Can we change the date? What should I say back? Does this need checking?

The questions may be reasonable. They may even be necessary. The problem is what happens when every decision, however small, follows the same route. The work moves towards the founder, waits for an answer and then moves back out again.