As a CTO, I’ve worked with setups ranging from 1–2 developers to a couple of full teams of 5–10 people. Time and again, I’ve seen the same pattern: in smaller organizations (startups, scale-up and grownups), a compact, highly focused team delivers more impact, more speed, and better results than a larger one.
Firepower Over Headcount
Logistics is changing fast. Customers demand real-time visibility, carriers want flexible integrations, and AI is pushing closer into daily operations. In that environment, success is not about how many people you employ—it’s about how quickly you can adapt and execute.
A small team (1–2 developers):
- Knows the entire codebase, switching fluidly between issues and features.
- Has short communication lines, enabling faster decisions.
- Is easier to steer and manage, without drowning in overhead.
Larger teams (5+) can make sense in enterprise-scale projects, but in a scale-up or SME environment they often spend more time on alignment, meetings, and internal process than on actual delivery.
Deadlines and Quality
One of the biggest myths: smaller teams automatically mean longer timelines. My experience says the opposite:
- Small teams deliver faster prototypes and working versions.
- They iterate more consistently, without waiting for lengthy approvals.
- And they often safeguard quality, since there’s no “throw it over the wall” mentality.
Research from Harvard Business Review and multiple LinkedIn thought leaders confirms this: small, autonomous teams deliver better-tailored and more innovative solutions than large groups that struggle to stay focused.
Why Adding Developers Too Early (First 18–24 Months) Is Dangerous
One of the most common mistakes I see: organizations scale their dev teams too quickly after early success. It feels logical—more people should equal more speed or wants to onboard new and existing customer too fast. In reality, the opposite happens.
1. Brooks’ Law: Adding manpower makes projects later
Fred Brooks’ classic principle from The Mythical Man-Month still holds (link to Amazon). New developers slow things down because:
- They need onboarding,
- They pull senior team members away to answer questions,
- And communication complexity grows exponentially.
2. Knowledge Fragmentation
In the first 18–24 months, the codebase is still fluid. Bring in too many people too early, and suddenly no one has full context. The result?
- More bugs,
- Overlapping code,
- And architectural decisions made hastily instead of thoughtfully.
3. Costs vs. Value
Let’s be clear: smaller teams are not necessarily cheaper per developer. In fact, you want the best developers—and the best don’t come cheap. But here’s the difference:
- With fewer, stronger people, the total costs are lower (less overhead, less rework, fewer delays).
- Value appears faster, because progress is clean and focused.
4. Losing Strategic Momentum
Small teams remain locked in on what the business needs right now. Larger teams, too early, shift the focus toward process, documentation, and management overhead. Innovation takes a back seat to administration.
That’s why, in the first 18–24 months, restraint is critical. Keep the team small, let them build the foundation, let architecture evolve naturally, and allow the business to learn from real outcomes. Only then does it make sense to scale headcount.
My Role as CTO
Strong leadership is the differentiator. As CTO, I ensure the team stays focused on impact:
- Setting the strategic direction,
- Prioritizing with precision,
- Aligning technology directly with business goals.
The result? Fewer people, but the right people. It’s not about lowering costs per head—it’s about multiplying value with the best talent in a lean structure.
Conclusion: Small Is Powerful
In a world where supply chains are under constant pressure, the ability to build, adapt, and learn quickly is more valuable than raw headcount.
For SMEs and scale-ups, the winning formula isn’t a large army of developers—it’s a small, empowered, well-directed team
As Marty Cagan (Silicon Valley Product Group) put it in his excellent piece: “Small empowered teams build better products.” (svpg.com)
