How Rippling helped Reserv achieve 300% growth while keeping operations lean

This was the reality for Matthew Lu, VP of Strategy at Reserv, who joined the company as its second employee. 

"I was literally preparing for the July 4th barbecue and got this news. And you're just like, ‘Oh, well, there goes my July 4th,’" Lu recalled with a laugh in an "Ask Me Anything" webinar.

Reserv is a young insurance tech company. With a lean team of just 17 employees at the time, winning a major account that required such rapid scaling presented both an enormous opportunity and a significant operational challenge.

How Reserv scaled by leading with lean principles

During his recent "Ask Me Anything" webinar, Lu shared how he helped scale Reserv from a lean team of 17 to over 250 employees in just one year. His candid insights on lean operations, strategic leadership, and sustainable growth reveal valuable lessons for any organization facing rapid expansion.

Lu emphasized several core principles that enabled Reserv's successful scaling:

1. Strategic use of technology

One of the most practical takeaways from Lu’s webinar was how Reserv leveraged technology to maintain lean operations while scaling rapidly. Lu particularly emphasized how automation freed up time for human-centered activities, especially during challenging moments: 

"The last thing you need is to be thinking, ‘I need to press this button,’ or, ‘I need to remember to do X, Y, and Z,’” he said. “And so having that automation workflow that's built in, where you press one button and all these things happen—it allows you to just focus on the human element and trying to be present and, frankly, human, right in the moment."

Reserv’s partnership with Rippling emerged from this philosophy, enabling them to maintain lean operations while scaling rapidly thanks to Rippling’s automated workflows.

2. The "pulled from the front" approach

Drawing inspiration from the US Marine Corps' "Warfighting" doctrine, Lu advocated for leadership that's "pulled from the front" rather than "pushed from the back." 

"The people who are directly engaged with the enemy or the conflict or then and there solving problems—they're the ones who are going to have the best tactical knowledge on how to move and what decisions you can make, which is different than being pushed from the back where someone really far from the battlefield or far from the situation is telling you from high down what to do,” he explained.

This means:

• Empowering those closest to the problems to make decisions

• Providing clear strategic guidance while maintaining tactical flexibility

• Being present in the trenches with your team

• Building strong mentorship and development pathways

3. Balancing tempo and rest

Lu shared a fascinating perspective on managing burnout through the concept of "tempo"—the idea that high-performance organizations must master both acceleration and deliberate rest. 

"If there's any kind of moment where there isn't a problem—or there's a lower priority problem—rest and recuperation becomes the priority,” he explained. “That is inherent in the idea of tempo. You have failed the idea of tempo if you don't rest."

He also highlighted the need to:

• Act with urgency when necessary

• Take intentional breaks during lower-priority periods

• Recognize that rest is essential for creative thinking and problem-solving

• Create space for unstructured thinking time

Looking forward

The AMA session concluded with valuable insights about sustainable growth and the importance of building strong foundations. As Lu reflected, "We think technology can make that experience significantly better for all people. That means cost savings. That means businesses that never would have been able to get insurance suddenly can because there's data on them."

Key questions for leaders to consider:

• Are you building systems that enable scaling without proportional overhead?

• How are you balancing automation with human touch in your operations?

• What's your strategy for maintaining tempo while preventing burnout?

• How are you empowering front-line decision-making while maintaining strategic alignment?

Reserv's growth story illustrates that successful scaling isn't just about adding headcount—it's about building smart systems and cultures that enable sustainable growth. By combining lean principles, strategic technology use, and strong leadership philosophy, organizations can achieve remarkable results while maintaining operational efficiency.

Watch the on-demand webinar here

Watch the webinar

Want to learn more about how Rippling can support your organization's growth journey?

Book a demo to explore how our platform can help free your smart people to work on hard problems.