A lot of talk has been going around lately about the advantages of small teams when developing web-based products. Small teams seem to communicate more effectively, manage projects collaboratively, and produce a shared vision with a common set of goals. Of course, small teams are only as effective as the model and people involved.
The model is always a challenge between hiring dynamic people and hiring experts with certain disciplines. It usually comes down to the ability to find people who can think strategically, but perform their specific job function. At Wildbit we are always challenged with finding the right people that fit our model exactly. Whether it is design, programming, usability, or strategy each person must overlap in some way to understand the big picture. It has been so important for us to find coders who can also document, write specs, and test builds. In the same way we have had to find visual designers who understand web standards and the user centered design process.
The small team approach leads to big vision within the team. A small team encourages each other, speaks the truth, and is passionate about their work because they can see the impact.