"If you can't feed a team with two pizzas, the size of the team is too large."
--Jeff Bezos, chairman, CEO, and founder, Amazon.com
From Fast Company's recently released book, The Rules of Business: 55 Essential Ideas to Help Smart People (and Organizations) Perform At Their Best
Related Stories: | Topics:book discussions, Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Inc., Fast Company Magazine |
Recent Comments | 7 Total
March 17, 2006 at 1:19pm by jammy
True. But if the team size is very small...one can't afford to take a look at the big picture!
March 17, 2006 at 2:07pm by John McDougall
I guess Mr. Bezos doesn't follow professional sports. Seriously, quips like these from influential folks should be examined and used within the context in which they're first presented.
March 19, 2006 at 8:45pm by David
Geez, seems like nobody can take a vacation in that team. Been their done that, lean teams are bad news but a fact of life.
March 20, 2006 at 11:10am by kent
I agree with Mr. Bezos. The premise of his statement appears that when more people are involved it is harder to get things done and productivity drops. Having experienced this in various crews and teams I feel the same way. When questions arise such as - who was responsible for this?? The problem could be traced back to the confusion created by an overwhelming number of participants for a spcific project.
March 20, 2006 at 12:19pm by EH
I disagree. A two person team is way too small.
March 22, 2006 at 10:56am by UH
I guess what EH says assumes 1 person per pizza. This would really hinge on:
1. The size of the pizza Mr. Bezos is referring to.
2. The appetites and 'starvation periods' of the persons willing to attack the pizzas.
3. The toppings on the pizzas.
4. The temperature of the pizzas. After all, who likes cold pizza? (I know, this is a petty shot, but nonetheless....)
Since none of these was mentioned in the quote, the jury on team size decisions is out.
Oh, and yes: the context surrounding the statement really matters. I am sure Mr. Bezos knows what he is talking about.
B Rgds
September 11, 2007 at 11:31pm by seriosly funny
This is so true, this is how i have always done business. CHEERS!