[conductr]

Is it not more about specialization and deep domain experience than raw output?

If I just need raw output, the army of juniors is a viable solution. You might even find it’s preferable if you have many separate functions or projects or think you may flex down/up the labor expense later on.

[simonw]

In software development it's not uncommon to have a staff engineer who outproduces juniors in terms of raw output by a 5x factor.

[conductr]

With similar work that should be expected. It would be the same with cabinet making as well. But in cabinet making, they’d hire 5 juniors if it was less than a single experienced person. The experienced guy has a job because sometimes a project requires complex and fast solutions, even if pace is reduced by the complexity.