[octaveguin]

I've thought a lot about this too recently while working as a contract software dev versus a regular employee.

There's quite a bit of overhead in specifications planning and negotiation.

There is, as well, a lot of overhead in committees and "no hierarchy" ways of working.

A great amount of efficiency is gained when someone - almost anyone - is The Boss.

[beachy]

In Fred Brookes' classic "The Mythical Man-Month", he extols the virtue of having a single architect:

"Conceptual integrity in turn dictates that the design must proceed from one mind, or from a very small number of agreeing resonant minds."