Scaling mid-market technology teams

Growing companies face the opportunity and challenge of scaling teams. Doing so effectively requires building a flexible but structured process, and the recent Inflexion Product & Technology Exchange discussed strategies for managing rapid growth.

Companies’ early days are often driven by a small, tight-knit team where everyone knows each other’s strengths, facilitating quick decision-making and problem-solving. As one panellist put it, “In the early days, we had a handful of highly skilled developers working almost like a family unit, and the speed of delivery was impressive.” This culture makes early-stage growth dynamic and focused – but as companies scale, the pressure to expand brings challenges.

“As we grew, it became clear that new talent was needed. But hiring and integrating new team members was difficult, as the initial team was hesitant to bring in people they felt might ‘slow down the process.’” To address this, they opted for phased expansion, where new hires joined smaller sub-teams under the guidance of experienced developers. This gradual integration helped blend fresh skills with the team’s agility, creating a cohesive but more scalable structure.

Maintaining effective communication across departments is very important as teams expand. One panellist noted that silos could develop when original teams feel disconnected from new hires, especially across geographies. To counteract this, they focused on shared objectives to unify teams. “Our primary goal was a successful commercial outcome for our client, which gave everyone a common purpose.”

Another panellist emphasised the importance of soft skills and team-building exercises. “After years of remote work, we found that physically getting people together in central hubs for collaborative sessions renewed motivation and helped integrate fresh ideas.”

As teams scale, delivery efficiency becomes more important than simply expanding the headcount. One panellist shared an approach they called “scaling without scaling,” where they prioritised tech solutions that acted as “force multipliers.” Instead of immediately adding people to handle new responsibilities, they focused on automating repetitive tasks, such as patching networks or monitoring system health.

“Efficiency often lies in the tech stack,” they explained, “and finding ways to integrate advanced automation and streamline our processes lets us avoid constant headcount increases.” This approach ensures the team remains agile, even as the company grows, without impacting quality or increasing costs.

Additional specialised roles are emerging with new tech challenges such as cloud architecture, agile methodologies, and AI. As one panellist noted, “We underestimated the importance of roles like scrum masters) and architects, especially in guiding projects through agile frameworks and bridging the gap between the high-level vision and everyday tasks.”

The panel also highlighted how vital DevOps has become. “Without skilled DevOps professionals managing our continuous integration/continuous delivery pipeline, minor issues in our build process would build up, creating bottlenecks and affecting productivity across the board.”

External contractors or outsourcing partnerships can help manage fluctuations in workload and project demands. “We prefer contractors over outsourcing to maintain control, but we’re strategic with this approach. We’ve partnered with a few reliable firms, training them on our stack to ensure they’re ready when workload peaks,” one speaker shared.

In the area of AI, where finding the right talent can be a struggle, outsourcing has proved to be a very practical solution. “Recently, we undertook our first outsourcing project with a focus on AI. We were very deliberate in selecting a partner and outlined strict integration plans to avoid complications.”

Carving out smaller “innovation labs” within companies can drive cutting-edge projects without the constraints of the broader corporate structure. “Our innovation lab works like a start-up within the company, designed to maintain that agile, fast-paced environment with clear, targeted objectives,” a panellist explained. This not only attracts high-performing team members but also fosters innovation while other teams focus on the core roadmap.

The innovation lab structure motivates broader teams by providing a clear path for advancement, where top performers aspire to join these elite groups. “Everyone in our core team aims for a spot in the innovation lab. It keeps motivation high and creates a continuous cycle of skill improvement and innovation.”

Companies can grow effectively and maintain their agility if they can balance growth with careful team management, integrating specialised roles, and creating spaces for innovation. As one panellist said, “The journey is about knowing when to ‘place the cursor’ — knowing when to invest in people, when to leverage tech, and when to inspire innovation.”

Inflexion wishes to thank the panellists for sharing their thoughts: Alfonso Ferrandez, Founder and Director, Indigo Labs Limited​; Mounir Ladki, Co-Founder, President and CTO, MYCOM OSI; Neil Dodgson, Chief Product & Digital Officer, GlobalData Healthcare.

All Inflexion portfolio companies, regardless of size or ownership stake, have full access to our dedicated value acceleration resources covering digital enhancement (including data, AI, technology, cybersecurity and digital marketing), international expansion, M&A, ESG, commercial strategy and talent management.