Wisdom From Wizards #258: Better to double headcount or productivity?

We recently worked with Emre Varol, CEO at A2SV. Here we discuss whether it’s smarter for growth-stage CEOs to double headcount or double productivity.

Most CEOs in the $1M to $5M range hit this fork in the road sooner than they expect.

Do you hire faster to chase growth?

Or do you squeeze more output from the same team?

Emre’s take is refreshingly grounded.

He argues that 2X productivity beats 2X headcount every time because:

-Smart work compounds faster than brute-force effort

-Productivity gains sharpen decision-making and execution discipline

-Scaling inefficiency only multiplies future problems

-Teams that master thinking, experimentation, and learning outpace teams that only work harder

In practical terms, this means tightening priorities, simplifying workflows, upgrading systems, and building a culture that rewards insight, not just activity.

If you’re leading a growing company, this question isn’t theoretical. It directly impacts cash flow, hiring risk, culture, and how resilient your business becomes under pressure.

What would you choose: 2X team size or 2X productivity?

Wisdom From Wizards with Nitin Kartik is brought to you by Caribou Strategic, helping CEOs grow revenue $1M+ in 12 months with our money back guarantee:

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