Remember These 5 Tips While Scaling Your Software Team

Let’s discuss something significant in remote software development – effective team organization. You see, it’s not just about hiring software developers from around the world or the fancy tools we use; it’s about how we bring our remote teams together and structure them.

Today, let’s dive into why your software team can’t scale without the power of excellent team organization.

Table of Contents

I. The Power of Small Remote Teams

II. Understanding Cognitive Load in Remote Teams

III. Team Organization and Conway’s Law in Remote Teams

IV. Stream-Aligned Remote Teams

V. Enabling Remote Teams, Complicated Subsystem Remote Teams, and Platform Remote Teams

Conclusion

I. The Power of Small Remote Teams

Suppose you have a choice between hiring a remote development team of 20 people scattered across the globe and a tight-knit remote team of five. Which one do you think will be more productive and produce higher-quality work? Well, research and industry leaders like Fred Brooks and Kent Beck have consistently shown that smaller remote teams are the way to go.

Smaller remote teams can be nearly four times as productive as larger ones. So, when you’re looking to hire a software development team, keep it lean and mean.

II. Understanding Cognitive Load in Remote Teams

Cognitive load is the mental effort a person takes to get a task done. When hiring software developers for your remote team, remember that as your team grows, so does this load. It’s a universal human problem, as one can only handle so much. Remember the Dunbar number? It says we can maintain stable social relationships with around 150 people.

Similarly, when you hire a software development team, keep it small for it to work best, ideally between five to nine folks. Beyond that, it’s time to consider splitting the team to keep things running smoothly. So, when you hire a software development team, think about the size to avoid overload.

III. Team Organization and Conway’s Law in Remote Teams

Conway’s Law is just as relevant for remote teams. How you organize your remote team will reflect in the design of the software you create. Your software’s architecture will only improve if your remote teams communicate and collaborate effectively across time zones and distances.

When you hire a software development team, you can break down the work into loosely coupled remote teams to give remote teams more autonomy and reduce dependencies. Align them with specific domains or capabilities, like Team Topologies suggests with “stream-aligned teams.”

IV. Stream-Aligned Remote Teams

Stream-aligned remote teams are all about delivering business goals and keeping the work flowing in a specific area, regardless of team member’s location. In high-performing remote organizations, you’ll often find a ratio of one stream-aligned remote team to every six or ten units. They aim for minimal handoffs and dream of full autonomy, a surefire recipe for success in remote work.

V. Enabling Remote Teams, Complicated Subsystem Remote Teams, and Platform Remote Teams

Beyond stream-aligned remote teams, one must know of remote team types. Enabling remote teams, complicated subsystem remote teams, and platform remote teams are like the support crew for the remote stars. You can refer to the model that Team Topologies for more information.

They provide missing capabilities, reduce cognitive load, and offer tools and infrastructure to keep remote work humming smoothly.

Conclusion

Effective team organization is the secret sauce for success in remote software development at scale. When you hire a remote development team, keep it small, consider cognitive load, and embrace the principles of stream-aligned remote teams.

When it comes to hiring software developers, look no further than RecruitNinjas. Their expertise in the field ensures that you can assemble a top-notch software development team seamlessly. With RecruitNinjas, you can trust that they’ll handle the recruitment process precisely, delivering a talented and skilled team to meet your software development needs.

This blog is inspired by the video,’Why Your Software Team CAN’T Scale’ by ‘Continuous Delivery.’