An old programmer adage compares the creation of a piece of software to the birthing of a child. You can’t just throw more programmers at a piece of code to make it work sooner, just like you can’t have 9 women help to make a baby in 1 month.
This piece of wisdom applies beyond the world of software. Big companies don’t necessarily do things better and faster than small companies or individuals (they just scale better).
This can be an empowering realization for the small businessperson. You’re not “small time” just because you don’t have an accounting department or a secretary.
Sometimes more people just get in the way. Don’t fake being big when you’re not. Small is an advantage. Small is the new big.
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2 Responses
Did you have a particular instance in mind? I enjoyed this thought - -esp. because I came from a big company that was trying to become small again. It was an interesting dynamic.
I’ve been on more than one project that became more work as more people got involved, rather than the opposite. You would expect that adding resources gets things done better and faster, but that isn’t true.
Big companies do more, not better. They do bigger, not smarter.
Don’t get me wrong, there are exceptions. Cutting edge technology and science has a lot to gain from big money.
But a good local hardware store is better than Home Depot. A good corner grocer is better than the supermarket. An eclectic bookstore is better than Barnes & Noble.
Being small is a niche, not a lack of qualification to do anything important. It depends on how you frame yourself.