Posted by on November 4, 2015

Open question to Mary Poppendieck

Dear Mary, we met at a fish-bowl at XP11 in Rome and discussed team size. I bravely suggested 7 as the ideal number. You gave me a hard time and argued that the ideal was a full program of about 75, but going as high as 150. The team size number equivalating max span-of-control for a single person. You also quoted 3Ms figure on the ideal organization size, which I rememer as 300.  The latter equivalating the max of where useful communication structures can be maintained. And I actually agree with your view on these ‘rule-of-thumb’ benchmark sizes and often quote this discussion. Do I remember this correctly? And have you published anything about this which I can refer to? Br, Morten

Posted in: Identity