Snell & Wilcox started in 1973 as a hobby and as an escape from a large academic institution. The growth to a 500-man manufacturer of broadcast and image processing equipment in the 80s and 90s was organic but certainly not linear. In this presentation, the company's founder examines the issues related to this growth and finds that few were unique and most are as relevant and applicable to new business today as they were in the last century.