“Our engineering team can only spend 80hours a week on that problem and those guys [big company xyz] can spend 800hours on the same problem”
That was something I heard at a mtg last week by an engineering exec at a startup. He was reflecting on how hard it is to build stuff when they will always be at a disadvantage from a staffing and resource point of view.
Here’s the thing that startups can’t lose sight of: you will always be understaffed and under resourced as a startup.
That’s just the deal. It’s a constraint.
But it’s a feature not a bug.
The unique weapons each startup holds is the natural ability to focus, the ability to recruit the best people and speed.
Big companies are stuck in meeting hell, politics and worse.
If your startup starts to lose or ignore the weapons that come with the joy of a startup, well, then you are tying one arm behind your back.
Don’t obsess about your lack of resources. Embrace it.
Use it as a way to focus on the most important things. Build stuff to take our breath away. And know that the big company wishes they could move with your raw speed and creativity.