In a landscape dominated by enterprise giants, it’s easy to assume bigger teams build better software. But data tells a different story. Time and again, it’s the small, focused teams that outperform—delivering faster, adapting quicker, and building stronger connections with their clients.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

A 2023 JetBrains Developer Ecosystem Report found that 61% of developers globally work in teams of 10 or fewer. What’s more, those small teams consistently reported higher job satisfaction and faster release cycles compared to larger groups.

Meanwhile, the Standish Group’s Chaos Report has long shown that smaller projects—typically led by smaller teams—are significantly more likely to succeed. In the latest release, projects with fewer than 10 contributors had a 61% success rate, while large projects saw that number drop to just 28%.

Why Small Teams Win

1. With less overhead and fewer handoffs, decisions get made faster and with greater context.

2. Small teams tend to have clearer shared goals and a stronger sense of ownership. There’s less room for ambiguity.

3. When everyone wears multiple hats, responsibility becomes personal. This drives quality and cohesion.

4. Agile in spirit and practice, small teams iterate more quickly—meaning better products sooner.

The DevRoom Model

At DevRoom, we’ve leaned into this philosophy. Our compact, high-impact teams work closely with clients, eliminating the bureaucracy and delay common in larger operations. We don’t scale by throwing people at problems—we scale by thinking clearly, executing smartly, and using the right tools from day one.

In fact, our ISO 9001 and 27001 certifications were earned not through scale, but through rigour, clarity, and the systems we’ve put in place to maintain quality without bloating operations.

Conclusion

Size doesn’t equal strength. In software, precision beats volume. Focus beats headcount. The small team advantage is real, and when backed by the right mindset and systems, it becomes a competitive edge that’s hard to match.