Scale last. Simplify first.
Scaling frameworks manage the complexity of many teams. Before adding that machinery, check whether you can remove the complexity instead.
Is one team enough?
Ask
A single team of up to about ten people ships most SME products.
BEFORE SCALING
Stay small if you can.
Can you cut dependencies?
Ask
Scaling frameworks mostly exist to manage dependencies.
BEFORE SCALING
Remove them first (Day 52).
One product or several?
Ask
Separate products can often run as separate, independent teams.
BEFORE SCALING
No framework needed.
Where's the bottleneck?
Ask
If it's decisions or approvals, more teams make it worse.
BEFORE SCALING
Fix the flow first.
Source: Effectiviology: Brooks' Law ↗
Scale last. Simplify first.