Two-pizza team

Happy Easter??

Founders, gather round! It's time for renewal and fresh starts.

It’s apparent that in the early stages of building a startup or business, resources are tight, the market is unproven, and agility is key. You need a team that wears multiple hats, thrives in ambiguity, and can adapt to rapid course corrections.?

Some founders, in the company's formative stages, will adopt a "full-stack founder" approach that allows them wear many hats to validate their concept and gain traction before scaling up. If this is you, then ??????

Ever heard of the "Two-Pizza Rule" concept popularized by Jeff Bezos? This philosophy suggests teams small enough to be fed with two pizzas, typically around 6-8 members. Why? Smaller teams foster better communication, quicker decision-making, and a shared sense of ownership.

I must stress that communication and transparency is key. You might not like to hear it but quite frankly, as a founder, these two are essential to building a strong, agile team that propels your startup towards success.

In this space, I've encountered entrepreneurs who have kept the team in the dark with vital information about funding challenges, leading to fear and ultimately, a mass dispersion on the team. Building trust requires open communication, even when the news is tough. Regularly scheduled team meetings and open-door policies encourage honest dialogue and create a more engaged workforce.

Remember the now-defunct mobile-first streaming service Quibi? Launched with a star-studded team and a hefty budget, Quibi failed to gain traction and shut down after 6 months. One of the criticisms was the company's lack of transparency with its employees. Feel free to do further research on this, I'm sure there'll be some useful insights you'll gather.

So okay! You appreciate the concept of going lean and agile, but still grappling with the dilemma of why and when to expand or downsize the team. Growth doesn't always necessitate adding people. Sometimes, a strategic downsize is necessary.

Here are some scenarios;

You've validated your concept and have a growing, engaged customer base.?

Sales is booming, user acquisition is exceeding targets, and customer retention is strong. This is your time to bring in talent.

Specific tasks are causing delays, hindering your ability to meet demand. This might be a signal to bring on a dedicated specialist.?

On the contrary, unexpected funding gaps might necessitate a temporary reduction in team size.

Team members are unsure of their responsibilities, leading to duplication of effort and inefficiency.

Despite a lean team, the company isn't experiencing the desired growth trajectory. Re-evaluating strategy and potentially downsizing might be necessary.

Let me also add that it's not just about having the right people on the team, but also having the right number on board for where the company is headed.

BONUS: In the spirit of Easter, if you're looking to upskill in managing projects across diverse industries, I'd highly recommend you take this discounted certification course(s) delivered by African University of Science and Technology (AUST).