Adding more engineers to a team behind on delivery can actually hinder progress. Every new hire exponentially increases communication paths; for instance, a team of twelve has sixty-six paths compared to ten paths for a team of five. Increased coordination leads to more meetings and less ""deep work,"" causing individual velocity to drop. When leadership expects proportional output from increased headcount, teams may cut corners, damaging quality. The real constraint is often coordination and clarity, not capacity. Most ""understaffed"" teams are actually trying to do too many things. The fastest teams prioritize fiercely, knowing exactly what they are not building.
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