The coordination tax

Every additional stakeholder in a decision adds coordination cost that grows non-linearly. Two stakeholders require one relationship. Three require three. Four require six.

This is why small teams ship faster than large ones, even when the large team has more resources. The coordination tax exceeds the resource advantage.

The implication: organizational design should minimize required coordination, not maximize stakeholder inclusion. Include people who must be included. Exclude everyone else, even if exclusion feels uncomfortable.

This applies to meetings, working groups, approval chains, and strategic planning. The question isn’t “who might have useful input?” It’s “who must be involved for this to succeed?”

Ruthless minimalism in stakeholder management is a kindness to everyone involved.