It’s remarkable how many people have forgotten about The Mythical Man Month.
You should read it. It’s a bit long-winded and dry — but the message is as important and clear as it was nearly 30 years ago when the book was first published: Most companies have a tendency to add people to problems they want to solve quicker. Normally this results in the project slowing down. The reasons are manifold — mainly centered around the notion of increased necessity for communication and coordination.
When you do a startup you are at a huge advantage over even the largest competitors: You are fast. You can cut corners. The market doesn’t have a set of expectations which it expects you to fulfill. You can play by your own rules.
The last thing you want to do is to slow down. In most cases speed is all you have. So — think twice before you fall into the trap of the mythical man month.