[082349872349872]

> If you've never worked at a place like this, or don't believe me, I'd recommend giving it a try.

+1

> Here management is essential to creating stress and getting any sort of productive output.

I had friends whose company went from "high-performing small" to "large", and the way they described the transition was "we thought adding management was going to be like adding an internal skeleton, a structure that'd help get all the functional parts of the company pulling in the same direction. Instead it turned out to be like an exoskeleton, a carapace that served mostly to constrain and put hard limits on the functional parts of the company."

[szundi]

Like flowing into all direction would be good?

[082349872349872]

Another analogy, from the book Blackhawk Down: the Regular Army units ("large company") required full military discipline (TPR reports, planning poker, etc.) just to survive in position. The Special Forces ("high-performing small company") unit didn't bother with hair length or reciprocal salutes, but instead of using the apparatus of the Army Way, they knew how to do things the right way, and so rapidly established a pattern of fire and movement enabling the RA units to break out and rendezvous with the UN rescue team.

Obviously any organisation, at some point during growth (at least under the traditional VC model), has to convert from "high-performing small" to "large". My view of the goal of founders and early employees is to (a) spot when this transition occurs, and (b) have arranged to already be liquid. When the settlers outnumber the pioneers and the range is fenced in, it's time to ride off into the sunset.