Building Provoke: From 0-150 staff
Hear how Doug Taylor launched and scaled the software services firm Provoke to 150+ staff across 3 countries
Provoke grew from a software services startup into a 150+ person consultancy, but not without a few hard lessons along the way. In this episode, Projectworks COO and Provoke Founder Doug Taylor shares how it all started, the growth walls, the mistakes and the successes that shaped Provoke’s journey.

Projectworks CCO Dominique Rennell advises global consulting firms on how to scale their growth and operations effectively.

Projectworks COO Doug Taylor built the consultancy Provoke into a global success before co-founding Projectworks. He's a serial founder and respected leader in professional services.

Projectworks CEO Mark Orttung has built his career growing and selling both consulting firms and technology companies.
In this episode, Doug shares the real Provoke story and what it can teach firms aiming to build a $50m consulting firm in 2026. Grounded in the same hard-won thinking behind The $50 Million Consulting Firm, this is a candid look at what scale really demands.
You’ll gain insight into:
- The growth walls Doug ran into as Provoke scaled from founder-led to multi-office
- The mistakes and hard resets that came with building the leadership team
- Why some of Provoke’s hardest lessons came during expansion
- How the operational pain inside Provoke helped spark the thinking behind Projectworks
Join us live for a candid look at what it really takes to scale a software consulting firm from day zero to global success.
Building Provoke: From 0-150 staff
Hear how Doug Taylor launched and scaled the software services firm Provoke to 150+ staff across 3 countries
Provoke grew from a software services startup into a 150+ person consultancy, but not without a few hard lessons along the way. In this episode, Projectworks COO and Provoke Founder Doug Taylor shares how it all started, the growth walls, the mistakes and the successes that shaped Provoke’s journey.
Your Z-Suite for this session:

Projectworks CCO Dominique Rennell advises global consulting firms on how to scale their growth and operations effectively.

Projectworks COO Doug Taylor built the consultancy Provoke into a global success before co-founding Projectworks. He's a serial founder and respected leader in professional services.

Projectworks CEO Mark Orttung has built his career growing and selling both consulting firms and technology companies.
In this episode, Doug shares the real Provoke story and what it can teach firms aiming to build a $50m consulting firm in 2026. Grounded in the same hard-won thinking behind The $50 Million Consulting Firm, this is a candid look at what scale really demands.
You’ll gain insight into:
- The growth walls Doug ran into as Provoke scaled from founder-led to multi-office
- The mistakes and hard resets that came with building the leadership team
- Why some of Provoke’s hardest lessons came during expansion
- How the operational pain inside Provoke helped spark the thinking behind Projectworks
Join us live for a candid look at what it really takes to scale a software consulting firm from day zero to global success.
Join Dominique, Mark and Doug for this live episode:
