Scaling product development and delivery is one of the most crucial stages in the development of a successful tech business.
A lot of companies face common difficulties associated with scaling, and it’s completely understandable. It can be challenging, no doubt, especially for companies that have gotten the groove of startup culture and working with small teams.
However, here’s something you should know early on: the more that you can reduce complexity, the better, and that starts by looking at your teams. Complex systems tend to get more complex as they grow. This is a serious enemy of an effective scaling process. Stay focused on the efficiency of your teams and team structures from the start.
At Crosstide, we have experience in tech development, as well as helping other businesses analyse their team structures and tech foundations. No two organisations or teams or the same, get in touch if you want our direct opinion on what’s best for you. In this article, we’ll be discussing helpful steps on how to scale a development team, as well as strategies for making each step happen right. Let’s dive in.
Suggested reading: For an in-depth look at scaling development teams, along with your entire product development operation, check out our new whitepaper — Scaling and Accelerating Product Development.
Before we go any further, we need to define our terms. Scaling is often seen as a solution to growth and efficiency gaps, and rightly so, but only when applied properly. Critical to understanding this is the difference between scaling and growth.
Simply put, scaling is both a strategy and a process. It can empower organisations to grow efficiently and do more with less. As with most strategies, there’s really no ‘one size fits all’ solution. There are, however, tried and tested principles to ensure that your scaling strategies are robust, clear, and headed in the right direction. So, what are some simple steps you can follow to help you find the right solution? Good thing you’re reading this article.
There’s a reason why some of the most successful tech companies rely on small teams, even as they have continued to scale and grow massively. Small teams work well together and can collaborate effectively with other teams to tackle large problems if placed in the right structure.
Take Amazon, for example, whose founder Jeff Bezos has an infamous ‘Two Pizza Rule.’ To keep efficiency at the core of their scalability, Amazon teams are supposed to always be small enough so they can be fed with two pizzas.1
This ‘small group’ principle is backed by research, too. 42% of employees working at companies of ten people or less were more engaged at work compared to their peers at larger companies.2 Pizza or no, teams that consist of fewer members (ten, at most) tend to communicate better and be more productive. The trick is to ensure that these many small teams are able to collaborate when needed, and don’t end up duplicating each other’s work.
You need people who work well together and have complementary skill sets. Otherwise, you’ll waste a lot of time butting heads and getting in each other’s way. This applies on the team level and the big picture. For example, you don’t want a bunch of leaders fighting with each other — not all team members can be decision-makers. You need people who follow and lead, and who specialise in different things.
You also need to make sure to grow your development teams in tandem with delivery teams and product management teams. The scaling of tech teams, in particular, needs to be in line with that of the wider organisation, to ensure that all teams work well together across common tech platforms.
So how does this translate to hiring? Briefly put, you have to hire team members who fit together, both in terms of their skills and their respective roles within the team, and then make those hires in line with business needs.
Especially in software development teams, your tech strategy can deeply impact who you can (and should) hire. Technology has a big impact on how you scale because it will determine the types of developers and engineers needed, and what they will need moving forward. However, this is a two-way street. Remember to consider your existing team members, as well as the type of people you want to hire.
For example, teams who already have extensive experience with Java may do well to stick with it rather than adding a hot new programming language into the mix. Fundamentally, don’t try to bend your organisation to match technology. You will get much further if you make tech choices based on your people, and the people you want to hire, rather than the other way around
Scaling software and product development teams can be challenging. However, with the right strategy, tools, and people, it can drive massive growth. Nonetheless, it’s still important to remember that when it comes to scaling and growth, there’s no template or magic formula.
Your organisation is unique, and your strategy should be. Your needs won’t be exactly the same as those of another organisation. It’s important to always refer back to your product and overall business strategies. These will anchor you to the most important needs of your organisation and help you make informed decisions when it comes to pursuing growth.
Crosstide can help your business scale smartly by identifying the right product and business strategies. By finding the right people with skill sets and personalities matched specifically to your needs, we help build and strengthen your teams so that they can work better together. Our experts are also trained at identifying gaps in your tech stacks and operations and can support you in making the right decisions when it comes to these areas.