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Within startups, especially technological startups, for a long time this idea that if you are not Grow upYou got late. Growth has always meant to hire more people as quickly as possible. But today I see things a little differently. The scaling of a company does not mean indicating add more people to pay. A small united team can accomplish as much, if not more, than large – especially if you are intelligent on the way you perform things.
When I started my last business, BreadWe wanted to build something impact without buried by typical growth pain that accompanies fast hiring. The big question that we do not stop asking ourselves was: How to get the most out of a small team?
What we found is that stay with can actually be a huge advantage.
In relation: Small team, great success – 3 ways to get the most out of a small team
Why bigger is not always better
Many startups are taken with the idea that more people are more successful. But I saw first -hand at what speed can turn against him. The more people you have, the more difficult it becomes to effectively communicateAnd decision -making begins to slow down. Before you realize it, you have management layers and it is much more difficult to keep everyone on the same wavelength.
According to my experience, keeping the small team allowed us to stay focused. We can make decisions faster, change direction when we need it and stay close to the work that really counts. We do not try to build a massive organization – we try to build something that works well and does what it is supposed to do.
The advantages of keeping it small
There are many advantages to stay with a small team:
- Fast on your feet: With fewer people involved, you can rotate quickly if something does not work or if a new opportunity appears. If you run your business in short cycles – About six weeks – You are always able to make adjustments without being stuck in weeds.
- Communication circulates easily: Without a ton of layers of management, it is easier to make sure that everyone knows what’s going on. When your team is all on the same wavelength, it makes everything you do more effective.
- Prosperous creativity: When you are part of a small team, you often end up wearing several hats, which can lead to fairly creative solutions. Focus on hiring people at ease to switch between tasks – whether coding, design or strategic reflection.
- Less general costs:: Automatize your routine tasks So you can focus on what really matters, so you don’t need a large administration team to keep the wheels that turn.
This may seem counter-intuitive but ultimately, having fewer people can allow you to accomplish more.
In relation: How small teams can get big results
How to have a big impact with a small team
So how do you do company a business Without exploding the workforce? One of the key strategies my team has used is automation. By building our own tools to manage tasks such as relationships and forecasts, we have considerably reduced the time devoted to administrative work, allowing us to focus on the situation as a whole.
The adoption of low code platforms and without code is also become more and more popular. The coding of automation tools like these allow small teams to create and deploy applications incredibly quickly without having to hire more engineers.
Make a big impact with a small team requires versatility in hiring. When I am in hiring mode, I am not only looking for people who are good in one thing; I am looking for people who can think strategically but who are not afraid to roll up their sleeves and dive into work. It is important to have members of the team who are comfortable both with large-scale thought and the details of Nitty-Gritty.
My co-founders and I have also learned to be selective on the projects we undertake. With a small team, it is impossible to do everything, we therefore focus on initiatives that align with our strengths and objectives.
Small teams, big results
There are many examples of small teams that do great things. WhatsApp, for example, had only 55 employees when Facebook bought it For $ 19 billion. Or take Base campWho kept his team about 60 people while serving millions of users. You don’t need a massive workforce to have a huge impact.
For me, the approach in a small team is not to stay small for good. It is a question of staying thin and concentrated, so we can do our best without burning ourselves in unnecessary complexity. I discovered that when you have a small dedicated team that works well together, you can do much more than you think.
In relation: 5 ways in which lean teams can work more intelligently and do more
The trend of the small team
After quick hiring and Subsequent reductions in the workforce That many technological companies have lived in the past four years, I think more leaders realize that you don’t need a large team to succeed. This is not the number of people you have; This is the effectiveness of these people. And in many cases, keeping it small could be the smartest way to develop.
As an early entrepreneur, do not be too much taken in the idea that growth means hiring more people. Focus on the construction of a team that works well together, remains flexible and gets things done. In the end, this is not the size of your team – this is what this team can achieve.