This is a corollary of Right Action, Right Time
Right action, right time isn’t about going slower. It’s about decelerating just enough (driven by stage) in order to accelerate later.
The hockey-stick is driven by a 10X Rule. You need to think non-linearly, and more specifically, in terms of 10x jumps in traction.
All businesses (including unicorns) start with 1 customer. They then grow to at least 10 customers, and then 100 customers. That’s two 10X jumps right there. If you're aiming to have at least 100 customers, the 10X rule applies to you.