The start-up inflection point: Nice Blog Article

[mouser]

Nice Blog Article by Scott Berkun on challenges faced by startups as they hire..

There is one pattern in the tech sector that is so common, and so under-explored[1], that I’m compelled to talk about it here. I call it the start-up inflection point.

The basic premise:

• Small engineering start-up is born, does well, hires like mad.
• Heavy hiring bias for self-driven solo programmer prodigies.
• Company grows; scores of engineers running around.
• Soon primary challenge isn’t quality programmers: it’s organizing them.

No matter how self-directed programmers are, eventually their utility declines as ambiguities in direction, roles, goals and ownership become increasingly distracting and frustrating. The company is changing because of scale effects - but scale effects are hard to recognize, predict or compensate for. HIring more brilliant engineers won’t solve this problem.

http://www.scottberkun.com/blog/?p=377

[JavaJones]

Sensible comments and advice I'd say. Whenever I read these sorts of articles about startups I always wonder how I'd handle the situation(s) in question. There is the natural tendency to think "I could deal with that", but I wonder how I would really react in an actual, practical situation like this. Only one way to find out: I must found a startup.

- Oshyan