Small Teams, Big Impact
2024-10-10
Most founders assume scaling means hiring fast. But some of the most successful companies were built by surprisingly small teams: Instagram had 13 employees when it sold for $1 billion. WhatsApp had 55 employees when it sold for $19 billion.
The Magic of Staying Lean
Small teams move faster. Less coordination, fewer meetings, clearer accountability. Decisions happen quickly because everyone knows what everyone else is working on.
Mark Zuckerberg once said he only hired people he could imagine working for. In small teams, that level of selectivity matters—every hire reshapes the culture.
The Hiring Trap
More people doesn’t always mean more progress. Five average developers at $100k each often produce worse results than one exceptional developer at $400k. The single great hire understands the system, eliminates overhead, and avoids the friction of misaligned coordination. In practice, that’s not just cheaper—it’s far more effective.
Leverage Over Headcount
The best small teams scale through leverage, not bodies:
- Technology: Automating instead of hiring
- Networks: Partnering instead of building everything yourself
- Capital: Using money to solve problems faster
- Brand: Attracting customers and talent without chasing them
The goal isn’t to stay small forever. The goal is to stay small as long as small is still the most powerful strategy. Size is a tool—not the definition of success.