The Magic of a Nimble Team

I've made this one my hill to die on: when your team gets too bloated, you lose momentum. I've seen it. Teams expand, layers creep in, communication slows, ownership fades, and chaos quietly takes root.

But when you keep the core team lean and focused, the magic happens. Everyone knows the mission. Everyone's voice counts. Decisions get made. Progress happens faster.

The Nuance

Here's the nuance: I'm not saying your company doesn't grow or that your total headcount stays tiny. Of course, as the business scales, you'll add people, functions, and capabilities. What I am saying is this: whenever possible, build around nimble, tightly scoped, and highly accountable sub-teams.

It's the same principle Jeff Bezos coined with the "two-pizza team" rule: a team small enough that you could feed it with two pizzas. Fewer people means fewer communication links, less overhead, more clarity.

The Commitment

So yes, grow the company. But whenever you build, always ask: "Is this team still nimble? Can they move with focus? Can they own their outcome without needing to become a mini-bureaucracy?"

When you keep that commitment, productivity doesn't just improve. It leaps.