https://www.invisionapp.com/inside-design/scaling-design-teams/

When you’re part a fast-growing company, it can often feel like the challenges and breakthroughs you’re experiencing are unique to your team and organization—that these are problems you have to solve together, for your company’s unique position.

In some ways, that’s true. But that doesn’t mean we can’t lean on the experience of others as well.

Being part of MailChimp’s growth from 6 employees to 550 in 8 years, and now witnessing similar growth at InVision, has afforded me a unique perspective on the stages companies, teams, and individuals go through as design scales. I’ve paired that experience with insight I’ve gained from interviewing dozens of design leaders on their growth and challenges, and distilled it down to some hard-earned lessons I shared with O’Reilly Design Conference attendees in March. Today, I’d like to share them with you.

Inflection points of a growing company

It can be hard to navigate the territory of a scaling company, especially when no one has a map. It turns out there are clear transition points along the way, and knowing where they are can give you perspective when things look more dire than they are.

In general, the following stages represent distinct inflection points on a company’s growth journey:

• 1-30: The organization feels like a family. Everyone is doing multiple jobs. Communication is constant and effortless because you know everyone in the company. Decisions are made quickly, and are often founded only on hunches, but that’s okay. The product is in its infancy and the to-do list is clear.
• 31-50: More people have been hired to help relieve the pressures of wearing too many hats. Hire well, as these people will hire many more and have a big influence on your culture. With more people comes the need for better communication. You’re starting to explore process. The team is mostly comprised of generalists still.
• 51-200: Big changes are happening, and they often feel awkward. You no longer know everyone in the company, and you may not know who to speak with about basic issues. Chances are you and others will have to move to new roles to keep the company moving forward. You’ll have to hand over your previous projects and team to new people, which can be hard. There are more meetings and formal processes. You can no longer base your strategy on hunches as there’s too much at stake. Define your company values now to guide the growth of the culture.
• 201-750: More big role changes for many. Some of the people who’ve been with the company from the beginning will be leaving and a new guard will take charge. The company has shifted from innovation to optimization. The product is mature, and now you need to stabilize everything to continue growing. The company has many more specialists who will introduce new capabilities. With so many teams now, you’ll need connector people who can bring them together and can communicate institutional knowledge.
• 750: Culture and values are well defined. They can be changed still, but it’ll require a lot of effort to move things. Beware of teams and individuals putting self-interest in front of the company’s interest.

Andrew Crow, former VP of Design at Uber, saw insane growth in his tenure. Just as they got a handle on their workflow, more people would be added to the team requiring a retooling of both org structure and process. He likened it to bringing water to a boil, only to add more water and drop it back down again.

As roles change and responsibilities shift you and your colleagues will undoubtedly experience FUD: fear, uncertainty, and doubt. Recognize that this is normal. Reorgs mean FUD, but clear and consistent communication can reduce it. Leadership can ease the turbulence by communicating changes early and often, and normalizing the emotions people are feeling.

Giving up your LEGOs

As your company grows, you’ll inevitably have to shift roles and rethink your identity. Molly Graham, a veteran of rapid scale and an operations master, has sage advice for surviving periods of rapid growth. Give up your LEGOs—the project or role that has defined your work.

“If you personally want to grow as fast as your company, you have to give away your job every couple months.” –Molly Graham, VP Operations Chan Zuckerberg Initiative