I completely agree. I’ve had the privilege of working with a very small team of engineers—a team with diverse life experiences and unique areas of expertise but a shared work ethic: the willingness to try. We always said that most of our time was spent failing, and that’s what made the moments of success so rewarding. When we finally succeeded, it wasn’t just about the victory; it was the culmination of relentless effort that allowed us to push forward, improve our product, and refine our ideas.
Our approach was unique. We engaged directly with the people who did the work, learning from their insights and challenges, and built tools specifically for them. It wasn’t an Agile team or a Waterfall approach, or any other rigid corporate framework. It was an ad hoc team that came together organically to solve problems—and solved them faster than large corporations, consultants, or armies of workers ever could.
With just four people, we scaled applications, built automation systems, and tackled complex problems that delivered multi-million-dollar savings across the board. The process was simple: no micromanagement, no unnecessary oversight. Everyone contributed based on what made sense, and we all collaborated freely to solve problems as they arose, moving seamlessly from one challenge to the next. It was innovation through cohesion—a kind of synergy that can’t be forced or replicated through standard processes. It’s the magic of the right people, in the right place, at the right time.
Over the years, the tools we developed have grown into critical applications used by professional organizations, with over 3,000 users relying on them daily to make their work hundreds of percent faster. Yet, when these tools are handed over to large organizations for "modernization" or "corporatization," they often end up spending exorbitant amounts of money, adding no meaningful features, and making the tools less effective. Teams of 30 people fail to replicate what our small team accomplished. It’s a strange and frustrating reality.
I’ve tried to find ways to replicate this success, but I think it comes down to that intangible element—a “ragtag team” dynamic where the right people come together with a shared drive and passion. It’s rare, and perhaps it doesn’t exist as it once did. Maybe it’s out there, but we need to find ways to enable and foster it.