How Mobile Defenders scaled by separating visionary and integrator roles

Executive overview

Growing fast without clear ownership creates churn — decisions bounce, accountability blurs, and leaders get stuck in the weeds. Mobile Defenders founders Jordan Notenbaum (visionary) and Eric Baum (integrator) used the EOS Rocket Fuel model to split roles, speed up decisions, and free the visionary to work at a strategic level.

The shift required Jordan to give up day-to-day control of procurement and other functions — which felt like loss — but freed him to drive high-level strategy while Eric owned execution and internal management.

Delegation only works when roles are visible, communicated, and consistently enforced.

The Mobile Defenders origin and growth arc

• Jordan started repairing phones and iPods for cash while at university, self-taught through trial and error
• Built a chain of ~18 repair stores across Michigan and Indiana before spinning off a parts distribution business in 2013
• Grew from zero to $10–15M revenue in four to five years; sold a stake to a family office in 2016, doubling revenue overnight to ~$35M
• Eric joined four years ago as VP Operations, bringing a background in large automotive companies and a preference for high-impact smaller environments

Adopting EOS and building the accountability chart

• A co-founder running a separate company (Tech Defenders) introduced EOS and championed it internally; Mobile Defenders then engaged implementer Jim Coyle
• The focus day and accountability chart (AC chart) made the visionary/integrator split explicit for the first time
• Jordan was already external-facing (big customers, suppliers); Eric was already internal-facing — the chart confirmed and formalised what was already natural
• Jordan's initial resistance: giving up direct reports he'd managed personally felt like losing control
• Key unlock: walking the leadership team through the AC chart so everyone knew who to approach for what — reducing Jordan's role as default escalation point

Operational rhythm and staying aligned

• Weekly same-page meeting, fixed time, door closed, minimal distractions — more consistent since adopting EOS
• Eric keeps the issues list; Jordan contributes occasionally; ad hoc sessions mid-week for urgent items
• Both currently sit in two seats: Jordan holds finance alongside visionary; Eric holds operations alongside integrator
• Six direct reports to the integrator seat (including the finance seat Jordan fills)
• Clarity on the AC chart makes ambiguous situations easier to surface: people say "I'm not sure where this goes, but I'm starting here"

Letting go: the procurement example

• Handing procurement oversight to Eric gave Jordan "heartburn" — he saw it as the most operationally critical function
• Six months in, Jordan found he could still influence procurement at a structural, strategic level without managing day-to-day decisions
• The surprise: stepping back from execution didn't mean losing impact — it meant higher-leverage impact
• Eric's parallel surprise: the downstream team picked up ownership faster than expected once roles were clear; people who previously escalated everything began taking responsibility

Managing conflict and visionary tampering

• Jordan's temperament is even-keeled; he listens to Eric's perspective, states his own view, then defers to Eric's call and supports it fully
• Shared vision and clearly defined rocks mean most disagreements are on small issues — big-picture direction is rarely in dispute
• Eric's approach to Jordan's occasional "end runs" into the organisation: point it out directly; Jordan acknowledges quickly and moves on
• Built-in check: Eric will tell a team member "if Jordan comes to talk to you about this, come back to me" — reinforcing the chain

Turnover and team development

• Of the original leadership team (excluding Jordan and Eric), only two members remain — others left or were promoted from within
• EOS accountability didn't trigger resentment; honest conversations about fit were seen as relief by many who self-selected out
• Eric frames future growth around team development: making career paths visible in a 60-person company, empowering people with the right tools, investing in their growth

Key lessons for visionaries and integrators

• Jordan: Find a natural complement first, then build the communication discipline — getting on the same page, aligning on vision, and talking through issues is the foundation
• Eric: If something isn't working, make a change — don't wait; applies to people, processes, and structures equally
• The framework is a guide, not a rulebook — "don't let the tail wag the dog"; adapt it to what's best for the relationship and the business
• Jordan's near-term priority: exit the finance seat within three to six months by outsourcing the controller role, freeing capacity for pure visionary work