Pairs break under absence. Trios add resilience: 2.5 capacity on average means work continues when someone's out. And you need a Lead to manage them. Here's when the structure starts to matter.

At 8-12 people, task dispatch breaks. Pairing fixes it—but it reveals something more valuable: who's actually ready to lead. Here's what happens when you give engineers real agency.

Small teams thrive under one leader directing everything. But around 6-8 people, something shifts. Here's why the dispatch model breaks—and what naturally emerges to replace it.