We've all seen situations where there are too many people in the mix all working on the same problem (when not multi-tasking on one of their screens). So, it should come as no surprise that we hear this wisdom from the corner office:
We’re known for having very small meetings, usually three people. There’s a little clicker for counting people that hangs on the main conference room door.
The reason it’s there is to send a message to people that I care about this issue. If there’s a bunch of people in the room, I’ll stick my head in and say, “It takes 10 of you to decide this? There aren’t three of you smart enough to do this?”
I just hate design by consensus. No innovation happens with 10 people in a room. It’s very easy to be a critic and say why something won’t work. I don’t want that because new ideas are like these little precious things that can die very easily.
Two or three people will nurture it, and make it stronger, give it a chance to see life.
Paul English, co-founder and CTO of Kayak,
in an interview by Adam Bryant
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