In the world of Scrum, size matters - but not in the way you might think. More people don’t necessarily mean more productivity. The opposite is often true. Scrum thrives on small, cross-functional, self-managing teams that can move fast, collaborate effectively, and deliver real value. Sounds great, right? But what does that mean? And more importantly, why does it matter?
Cross-functional means the team has all the skills to turn an idea into a valuable Increment. The team members collaborate closely, everyone brings their expertise, and together create something greater than the sum of their parts.
Self-managing means the team decides who does what, when, and how, with no command and control. It’s not about chaos, boundaries for decision-making should be known, it’s about ownership. When teams own their decisions, they are more engaged, innovative, and accountable for outcomes.
Why does this matter? Because when teams have the autonomy to solve problems and the skills to deliver, magic happens. They move faster. They adapt better. They create value continuously.
The Scrum Guide recommends keeping Scrum Teams at 10 or fewer people. Why? Because experience (and science) shows that once a team gets too big, things start breaking down:
Communication Overload – More people = more complexity in conversations
Decision-Making Bottlenecks – Alignment takes longer, slowing down progress
Reduced Engagement – Not everyone gets to contribute equally
Diluted Accountability – When too many people are involved, ownership becomes unclear
To keep things lean, fast, and effective, teams must be small enough to stay nimble but large enough to deliver significant value each Sprint. Don't get me wrong: I've seen teams with more than 10 people being effective and working great. Don't get stuck in the number. However...
What If the Team Gets Too Large? As products scale and teams grow, organizations often face the dilemma: Do we keep adding people to one team or split into multiple teams? The answer in Scrum is clear: reorganize into multiple cohesive Scrum Teams.
But not just any teams - cohesive ones! This means:
Each team remains cross-functional and able to get it to Done.
Teams collaborate rather than operate in silos.
They share the same Product Goal, Product Backlog, and Product Owner.
Done right, this keeps agility intact while avoiding the bureaucracy and inefficiencies that creep in with large teams.
If your team is growing and things are feeling sluggish, ask yourself:
Are we spending more time coordinating than actually delivering?
Is every team member actively contributing, or are some just spectators?
Are we still delivering value at the right pace?
If the answer to any of these is “no,” it’s time to rethink your team structure.
Scaling is NOT just about adding people - it’s about preserving agility, autonomy, and focus.