> We could have grown at many points along the way but haven't wanted to. Instead we've stayed small, focused and profitable.

You're a "Small Giant": https://www.amazon.com.au/Small-Giants-Bo-Burlingham/dp/0143...

I have friends who did that. They built a consulting company where they get to build the culture they want.

Those kinds of companies (the examples I know of are small, < 200 folks) actually have a chance of maintaining a coherent, caring culture. Not to say that folks don't get laid off or tough decisions made, but humanity is still present.

I enjoyed Small Giants for more profiles of these kinds of companies: https://www.amazon.com/Small-Giants-Companies-Instead-10th-A...

Besides resources like Indie Hackers, I highly recommend everyone here read Small Giants (https://www.amazon.com/Small-Giants-Companies-Instead-10th-A...) which focuses on companies that have outsized impact feeling the pressure to grow.

They profile companies that have 2 to 2,000 (or so?) people, but most focus on having an opinionated take (over growth for its own sake).

The book: Small Giants.

This entire book is literally about companies that focus on deliberately growing but still staying excellent. Many were profitable and didn't raise a lot of outside funding. Many also were strongly owned by employees.

https://www.amazon.com/Small-Giants-Companies-Instead-10th-A...

> Why do sales always need to grow, why sustaining is not enough?

I wonder this often myself too. It's unorthodox, but I wish more companies focused on staying sustainable rather than trying to grow continuously (or making growth the only goal of the company). A good book on the topic: https://www.amazon.com/Small-Giants-Companies-Instead-10th-A...