Tech Changes, Team Fundamentals Don’t
“Replacing big teams with a small focussed fast paced team”. This idea seems to be gaining quick popularity. The acceptance is unreal. Many believe this to be a new idea emerging from recent advancements in AI technology.
But honestly, what’s new?
Many great companies today scaled themselves significantly with relatively small teams. They did it not with AI, but simply by assembling great teams.
Many who are willing to adopt this idea think they can do it with their current ways of working—that they’ll downsize and retain the best talent. Maybe they can; I won’t deny the possibility. AI technology might indeed work its magic.
But from my understanding, for this idea to truly succeed, they would still have to assemble a great team.
What are great teams made of? Great individuals.
What do great individuals want?
- Autonomy
- Flexibility
- Great compensation
- Stakes in the benefits
- Complex problem
- More competent people to work with
- A genuine problem to solve
- Real leadership
Not every team can offer all these, but a healthy combination of many would be necessary. Points 1 to 4 are prime attractors, while 5 to 8 are prime retainers. Job security is important too, but with younger people taking important positions, it won’t be a major concern.
It doesn’t take a genius to recognize that most companies won’t be able to provide this. If they truly could, many would already be doing it successfully.
Those viewing the current trend as an opportunity to downsize and move fast need serious introspection: Are they ready for massive organizational and mindset shifts? More importantly, does their business even require those shifts?
If not, they’ll continue being the large teams they already are. They’ll adopt AI technology just like they’ve adopted previous tech stacks that enabled smaller teams to build great businesses.
The recent trend will accelerate growth for those ready for acceleration. For others, it will merely be a shift from one tech stack to another. That’s all.
This applies to individuals as well.
I’m not dismissing the significant possibilities opened up by new technology. It’s certainly going to boost confidence in many. I’m simply pointing out that when an opportunity gets democratized, merely acting on it doesn’t automatically provide an edge. The past is full of such examples, unless one chooses to overlook them.
And of course, I say this with humility, acknowledging that perhaps all of this could turn out differently. Things are moving fast, and no one truly knows where this will ultimately land.