Is it worth chasing three kopecks when there is a ruble under your feet?

I often ask the question, what is better, many small projects of three rubles, or one big one in 30? What is better, 30 cheap workers, or 3 highly qualified specialists? You can argue for a long time, but the correct answer is not in the question itself, but outside it.

Small projects allow you to get high returns at low cost. Revenue scaling is solved by attracting new employees. Force majeure does not particularly affect the welfare of the company. The most important thing is quick money. It sounds very attractive!

Big projects have their advantages. These are much larger sums with which the company can operate, which means that the cream can be much tastier and much larger. Large projects develop workers, improving their professional skills. The knowledge gained in the process of working on such projects is easier to monetize in the future.
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But big projects have disadvantages. Big fat, such cons. You can simply do not cope with the implementation. Force majeure can easily shake your wealth. Scaling is made difficult by the complexity of the development, and adding new employees can have a negative effect. In the end, the risks are much higher, and a project from a profitable one can easily become unprofitable.

What to choose? It is necessary to stop the dispute in this vein, and look at the situation from other sides.

Resource usage

The option with small projects is nothing more than devouring resources. All production processes are aimed at reducing the time of manufacture of the final product. More nuts spun - more money received. The minimization of time costs does not fit the process of training personnel to new technologies, because while an employee is learning, he does not make a profit. The devouring of resources leads to the depletion of the “organism” and its death. It looks like parasitism, is not it?

"Exhaustion" occurs for various reasons. This may be fatigue of workers, a change in the situation on the market, staff turnover. One of the common causes of "exhaustion" is the reassessment of forces and the "departure" in the zone of unprofitability. With a low level of professional skills, it is quite easy to break the deadlines for the implementation of a complex project. Dumping, which is usual for the lower price range, plays a cruel joke with a company that does not have enough experience with expensive projects. Such projects are usually completed not with profit, but with losses, and a snowball of debts occurs, in which each subsequent project covers losses from the previous one.

Accumulation of knowledge

In large projects there is also the use of resources. But at the same time, the process of accumulating knowledge and skills takes place. This is nothing more than an investment in intellectual resources. Each subsequent project can use less time resources, thereby maximizing the company's profits. Do not be afraid that you will grow a valuable employee, and he will leave, because the investments will not go anywhere, they will remain in the form of a code and general knowledge of the company.

How to distinguish the accumulation of knowledge from their use? Accumulation is when each subsequent task is more complicated than the previous one. If the tasks are of the same type, you eat up the resources. Another sign of the company's investment behavior is low staff turnover, because the employee feels a constant interest in work. While he is studying, he is growing, which means that the company is growing and the complexity of projects that you can complete.

This is similar to the symbiosis of the company and the employee.

In pursuit of profit

And what have the chase for three kopecks and the ruble? - you ask. And despite the fact that most companies prefer to choose the scheme of eating away resources, balancing on the verge of unprofitability. In conditions of limited resources, the company grabs any job, because tomorrow it may become bankrupt. There is a constant pursuit of three kopecks that are rolling down from the mountain, because this is fast money. And once you stumble ...

How to break out of the vicious circle

Changing the situation from parasitic to symbiotic is not easy. In addition to changing thinking, additional funds are needed either in monetary form, or in the form of increased loyalty of employees and their dedication. If there is one and the other resource, it will be even easier.

First of all, it is necessary to evaluate all existing and future projects in terms of the consumption of resources. I don’t give methods, as everyone should bring it for himself. You should not take on projects that are either too new for you or too banal. Choose those that are easy to cover by the reserve fund. It's not easy, but you need to start doing it sometime.

Accumulate funds, they will come in handy during the lull or the start of a new, more complex project when you need to attract experts and professionals.

Change the design pattern. Do not pursue quantity, pursue quality. It is better to lose a day, then fly in five minutes. What you do carelessly, will return to you through time by huge problems and considerable expenses.

Attract professionals to conduct workshops and train your employees. It is even better if lectures are not just given, but with a specific example some problem area of ​​the code is improved.

It hurts to hurt yourself for any attempts to return to the good old habit of chasing three kopecks. :)

Good luck in your business!