If you are running a business or leading a team, chances are you must have heard about the prominent two-pizza rule by Jeff Bezos. In the early days of Amazon, founder Jeff Bezos had a rule about building teams: if a team can’t be fed with two pizzas, it is too big. The idea is simple; small teams mean better communication, increased productivity, and an overall higher rate of productivity.
But things have changed in the last 2 decades, and the scale at which businesses have grown is considerable. Therefore, does the idea still remain accurate? Are smaller teams as effective as they used to be, or large collaborative teams are the key to unlocking the next level of growth? Research suggests a small team still takes the win!
Here’s an overview of why your team size matters, how building a bigger team might hinder growth, and how Wizly is helping businesses successfully propel growth with independent growth professionals.
Big Teams Often Limit Growth
In the current business landscape, growth is paramount for any company. As it may be apparent, additional growth brings the requirement of an additional workforce. Even though large teams are seen as a necessity in today’s environment where companies want to display strength, the results are counterproductive. Creating a big in-house team can be detrimental to the team or even company growth with multiple challenges. Here are some of the ways big teams can limit growth:
Additional bureaucracy: With more people in a team, rules, procedures, and policies are needed to ensure everyone is on the same page. However, this creates unnecessary red tape, which ultimately reduces team agility, slows down the decision-making process, and impedes company growth.
Longer feedback loops: Similarly, as more people are involved, feedback loops can become longer, decelerating the review process. Therefore, teams may no longer be able to make quick decisions, which can lead to missed opportunities and reduced productivity.
Increased costs: Building a bigger in-house team means additional salaries, benefits, and overhead costs, which can be a significant burden on a company's finances. This can limit a company's ability to invest in growth opportunities.
Limited Innovation: When teams grow too large, individual innovation takes a hit. As has been observed for a long time, big teams often have a higher risk of groupthink, where people tend to stop voicing their opinions to avoid conflict or a long process.
Large Teams Develop, Small Teams Disrupt
Team size is a critical factor in determining the success of a business. While there is no doubt that big teams can solve issues at hand, research shows that small teams often find new problems to solve. But a growing business needs a workforce that can cater to the business needs, and it's essential to keep in mind that more people also means more communication, more bureaucracy, and longer feedback loops. Also, as the business grows, a lot of small teams might not work as well.
This is where independent growth professionals are changing the future of work!
Small teams can be highly effective, nimble, and quick to adapt to changes. However, as businesses grow, so do their needs, making it challenging for small teams to keep up with the demands. This is why many businesses are now looking to hire independent consultants to help drive growth without actually having to build a large team. Growth professionals, micro consultants, subject experts, consultants, and other independent professionals are being integrated into small teams as we speak. Why? To ensure the agility of a small team isn’t lost while working towards scalable results.
Growth professionals can be an invaluable asset for businesses looking to scale with a small team. They bring expertise, time-saving benefits, objective perspective, and cost-effectiveness to the table. However, when hiring a growth professional, there are some key considerations to keep in mind. It’s critical to find a professional with the right experience and expertise for your business. Look for someone who has a track record of success in scaling businesses similar to yours. It's also important to find someone who is a good fit for your team's culture and values.
This is why top businesses around the world trust Wizly and its global pool of vetted growth and marketing professionals with decades of experience.
Wizly — Your One-Stop Platform For Growth Professionals
With an intuitive platform and a seamless experience, Wizly powers businesses to connect and hire professionals that can help them scale their business without having to hire in-house personnel. Here’s why Wizly’s growth professionals are the ideal solution for businesses looking to scale with smaller teams:
Vetted Professionals: Wizly understands the need to find the right professionals for your business, which is why all professionals on the platform are carefully vetted. The average Wizly professional comes with 10+ years of experience, and 7 out of 10 have held director-level positions and above.
Better Communication: Say goodbye to reaching out to professionals on LinkedIn or email, as Wizly helps you connect with them on the platform itself. Find the professional you want to connect with, and message or book a call with them right on their profile. With Google Calendar and Calendly integration, booking a call on Wizly is extremely easy!
Cost-Effectiveness: Hiring in-house professionals comes with a salary, benefits, and other costs that cannot be recouped if things are not aligned well. With Wizly, you get to choose seasoned professionals that can be hired on a project-to-project basis, enabling businesses to save a ton of time and capital.
Extensive Platform: No need to comb through 100+ profiles to find the right professional. With Wizly’s suite of tools and features, businesses can reach professionals with ease. Want experts to reach out to you? Post a business challenge or opportunity and receive proposals from professionals that are best suited for the job.
In toto, there is no coincidence that smaller teams are oftentimes more innovative than larger teams. Coupled with seasoned professionals, businesses that lead small teams can truly catalyze their growth. Wizly enables businesses to make the most of their small teams and provides numerous benefits. Want to know more? Join the Wizly community or sign up and reach out to top professionals from around the world.