It’s interesting to ask what the levers are if you want to limit scale. We know the levers for growth. What are they for identifying a specific maxima?
The one that’s clearest to me is headcount, which is the ceiling we’re using at metalabel to maintain a certain spirit and way of being. But as I’ve told the team many times, success makes these limits harder. At kickstarter the strategy was never be bigger than 50 people, but one day we started becoming overwhelmed with interest and what to do but lean into it? It was only later that I began to see why not.
I’d say 37 Signals, Craigslist, and Arena are probably strongest in this way of thinking and living it out. It takes real discipline and a willingness to swim the other way.
Headcount is such an interesting one. I love that you're doing that at Metalabel. Feels more achievable than ever to have a small team + big impact.
The list of companies living those values is too short and like you said it requires real discipline and a willingness to swim the other way. Everyone is copying everyone these days and it's so easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing. i fall into this trap all the time. paradoxically, this increases the value of being different.
Sari, have you read Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing essay On Nonscalability? She writes about scalability as that which can expand without changing, which requires a f-ton of centralized control. She writes about plantations as one of the key models for scalability ("Plantations gave us the equivalent of pixels for the land").
Whereas expansion in the biological sense, requires being in relationship; relationships transform.
So, human-scale networks are those that change and are transformed by relationships. I'm not really sure what nonscalability looks like in software or digital technology, but this was all excellent fodder for imagining it!
So glad to see you back on the email again Sari. I appreciate hearing your viewpoint as a founder so much more than the other emails we get from sublime now. 🙏
"The first Velvet Underground album only sold 10,000 copies, but everyone who bought it formed a band." - Brian Eno.
Also: thank you for the support in making the phone book possible <3
I love this soooo much!!
A phenomenal piece as always Sari
It’s interesting to ask what the levers are if you want to limit scale. We know the levers for growth. What are they for identifying a specific maxima?
The one that’s clearest to me is headcount, which is the ceiling we’re using at metalabel to maintain a certain spirit and way of being. But as I’ve told the team many times, success makes these limits harder. At kickstarter the strategy was never be bigger than 50 people, but one day we started becoming overwhelmed with interest and what to do but lean into it? It was only later that I began to see why not.
I’d say 37 Signals, Craigslist, and Arena are probably strongest in this way of thinking and living it out. It takes real discipline and a willingness to swim the other way.
Thank you Yancey.
Headcount is such an interesting one. I love that you're doing that at Metalabel. Feels more achievable than ever to have a small team + big impact.
The list of companies living those values is too short and like you said it requires real discipline and a willingness to swim the other way. Everyone is copying everyone these days and it's so easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing. i fall into this trap all the time. paradoxically, this increases the value of being different.
I wonder what web’s artisanal moment is going to look like and who will fund it.
It’s Sublime :)
iykyk :punch:
Sari, have you read Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing essay On Nonscalability? She writes about scalability as that which can expand without changing, which requires a f-ton of centralized control. She writes about plantations as one of the key models for scalability ("Plantations gave us the equivalent of pixels for the land").
Whereas expansion in the biological sense, requires being in relationship; relationships transform.
So, human-scale networks are those that change and are transformed by relationships. I'm not really sure what nonscalability looks like in software or digital technology, but this was all excellent fodder for imagining it!
whoa, this looks amazing. thanks for the rec, Kate!
Dear Sari,
Your vulnerability, humor, and thoughtful creativity in full bloom.
You are an inspiration.
Brava.
With admiration,
🙏
Love seeing those Capital Camp shirts.
iykyk <3
This is a really thoughtful piece, and I think it applies it just about every arena of our lives.
So glad to see you back on the email again Sari. I appreciate hearing your viewpoint as a founder so much more than the other emails we get from sublime now. 🙏
Yes yes yes