Startups Stack Exchange Archive

Should we make hierarchy in the team?

• posted by: samo on 2015-12-15
• tagged: product, team
• score: 2

I built a team to solve a problem. We are building a platform for communication between shops and customers.

I have one erlang developer to develop the server. I have an android developer to build an app. I am a PHP and Android developer myself. I have a friend who is java developer (I don’t know how to use his skills). I have a guy from Singapore who has more experience than any of us.

We are all working without pay. Should we structure ourselves into hierarchy? How do we proceed? I am good at building a team and managing a product, but what roles others in the team can play? What is the best way?

Answer 8122

• posted by: Eric Platon on 2015-12-15
• score: 5

Short answer: No need, beyond having a clear leading mind(s).

I believe a hierarchy is just to emerge by itself, based on members experience and egos. At that size, emergence and self-organization seem a good bet to stay lean and focused.

Having said that, it is also critical to keep the focus. So a corollary to your question is do you need a clear leader to summarize the situation and decide where the team goes—to which here is a resounding yes.

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I am currently working at a company where we all agree not to have a hierarchy. We want to foster everyone taking part in the discussions. This works pretty well, and quickly we know each other’s strengths, preferences, and perspectives.

The big issue then, is decision making and focus, as a whole. And the question of a leader is of outmost importance. Leaders also emerge, but when they don’t, we have to agree on one, usually the business owner.

Answer 13433

• posted by: h22 on 2017-10-03
• score: 0

Hierarchy is not something that always makes the things better. It does have drawbacks:

• while the leader is now more motivated, all others are demotivated,
• it may be more difficult to use competence and creative potential of the team members other than the leader.
• while the idea is maybe to prevent unproductive fights for the leadership, understanding the hierarchy is coming will begin such collisions.

If two or three developers seem performing well without the formal leader, I would say, do not try to fix that is not broken. There is also the way of consensus to get to decision and it also works well as long as all persons in discussion try to get consensus and they number is inside clever boundaries.

Most often you would need hierarchy when you employ developers of very different level of expertise.

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