THINKDROP 19: Small is the new big !
- Pierre Stanghellini
- Oct 6
- 6 min read
Size doesn’t matter anymore — agility does.
🎤 From Me to You
Once, size signaled success.
More staff, more offices, more square meters.
Big logos. Big launches. Big bravado. But today?
Size is friction. It slows down decision-making. It feeds ego instead of purpose.
Size doesn’t matter anymore.
Not in a world where a 5-person team can build a global product. Where one person can move millions through a newsletter. Where offices are optional and overhead is a liability.
Big teams and big spaces used to symbolize success — now they often signal inertia.
Do you really need 200 people, 3 floors of glass offices, and a Chief of Vibes to ship value?
Some of the most impactful companies today were small by design — or stayed small for a reason:
Basecamp (37signals): Under 80 people. Shaped how teams collaborate online.
Notion: Built by 4 people. Redefined productivity tools.
Stripe (early days): Dominated payments with fewer than 10 staff.
Substack: Small team, huge cultural influence on publishing.
Hiut Denim: A 4-person factory reviving manufacturing in a small Welsh town — with global clients.
Open Projects Group (Australia): A tight team designing and manufacturing bespoke interiors for restaurants, hotels, and airports across the world.
This week’s Thinkdrop is a declaration: Small isn’t a constraint — it’s an edge.
Let’s get into it.
Pierre Stanghellini -
HARi.wtf founder
Personal Note:
I run four companies across different sectors — all profitable, lean, and purpose-driven.
I lead an ecosystem of motivated freelancers, strategic partners, and powerful tools for SMEs, all from my tiny “gypsy house” in the heart of Stanley Market, and while I don’t (yet) make millions of USD a year, I’m on the right track :-)
It doesn’t stop me from working with restaurants in Singapore, discussing projects with five-star hotel chains in Dubai and Turkey, coaching marketing teams in South Africa, coordinating with IT partners in Cambodia, or checking in with my data managers in Hong Kong’s New Territories — most of whom I only see once a year at our annual Chinese New Year dinner.
So when I say “Small is the New Big,” I mean it literally. And I live it daily.
This is also the era of the 'Noisy Cricket' — that ridiculously tiny but shockingly powerful weapon given to Will Smith in Men in Black. It looked like a joke, but it packed a punch that could blast through walls.
That’s exactly what small, focused businesses are doing today — underestimated, yet unstoppable.
Today, flashy tech, endless content, and marketing hype do the same thing in business.
They blind us to what actually matters: clear value, honest work, and deep focus. Don’t fall for the dazzle. The real weapon now is simplicity with intent.
1. Tiny Teams, Titanic Impact
Big doesn’t mean better — just slower.
Today’s most agile, innovative companies are often lean, decentralized, and anti-corporate.
When you’re small, alignment is easier.
You don’t need layers of middle management or complex org charts. Everyone knows the mission — and can actually execute on it. Small teams move quickly because they’re not wasting time on meetings about meetings. They do the work.
In a world where adaptability is a superpower, small teams aren’t just surviving — they’re winning.
Try This: Don’t scale yet. Optimize first. Ask: What can we not grow and still win?
2. Micro as Mastery
In a world chasing global reach, the real power is in owning a niche.
Small is specific. Small is sharp.
Mass appeal is overrated. The internet rewards clarity — and clarity thrives in narrow spaces. The companies and creators who go deep instead of wide are the ones who build true believers, not just passive followers.
Mastery doesn’t need mass — it needs focus.
Try This: Can you become the best in the world at one tiny, valuable thing?
3. Revenue > Reach
Growth is overrated. Profit is underrated.
A small business with strong margins, solid retention, and clear purpose will always outperform a bloated startup bleeding cash for growth.
Especially in markets that now reward resilience over velocity.
You don’t need 1 million followers. You need 1,000 customers who pay, stay, and tell others. Scale what makes money, not what flatters your ego.
Try This: Reframe success: Not followers. Not valuation. Just sustainable, bankable revenue.
4. The Power of Direct Connection
Big brands need algorithms to stay relevant. Small ones can just talk to their audience.
When you’re small, communication is a superpower. You don’t need layers of social teams and data analysts to understand what your customers want — you can literally email them, call them, or ask them directly.
That closeness builds loyalty. People don’t follow small brands by accident — they follow because they feel seen. And when trust is real, it spreads.
Try This:Talk to 5 real customers this week. No agenda. Just listen.
5. Small Is a Philosophy, Not a Size
“Small” is a mindset: intentional, crafted, human. It’s clarity over chaos. Depth over noise.
It’s about saying no — often.
No to unnecessary hires. No to growth for growth’s sake. No to building things that don’t need to exist. It’s a refusal to let ego dictate direction.
Small doesn’t mean you lack ambition. It means you’re choosing to build slowly, wisely, and well — without losing your soul in the process.
Try This: Write a “do not scale” manifesto. What will you protect as you grow?
🔁 Quick Recap
Small teams move faster. Big isn’t nimble.
Niche is power. Focus is loyalty.
Profit > vanity growth.
Real trust beats algorithmic relevance.
Small is a mindset, not a phase.
🔥 FINAL DROP
We grew up believing that big meant success. But in 2025, small is smarter.
Because what’s the point of 200 employees if no one’s aligned?
Of offices that stay empty? Of scaling a brand that loses its soul in the process?
The future belongs to the lean, the sharp, the clear-headed.
To the tiny teams with giant impact. To the individuals who choose precision over performance.
Small isn’t the opposite of ambition — it’s the rejection of bloat.
It’s a protest against complexity. A celebration of focus. A reminder that you don’t need to look big to do big things.
It’s about creating systems that serve your life — not the other way around. It’s about knowing when enough is enough — and having the courage to stop chasing more for the sake of appearances. It’s about measuring impact in meaning, not just scale.
Build small. Move fast. Stay clear.
And remember: just because you’re small doesn’t mean you aren’t a giant in someone’s life or business.
PS: As a reference, this newsletter started with just one article a couple of months ago. We’re growing step by step each week through meaningful communication and idea exchange with you. And in a few months — when we host our first successful conference — you’ll remember two things:
You were there from the very beginning.
I told you: Small is the new big :-)
Pierre Stanghellini
→ Let’s connect, drop me a line directly at pierre@hari.wtf .
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About the Creator
Pierre Stanghellini is a creative strategist, systems thinker, and curator of mental rabbit holes. He created Thinkdrop Weekly to feed the brains that don’t want the same old Business advice. If you’re building something bold, beautiful, or strange—this is your corner of the internet.
About HARi.wtf
HARi.wtf is a creative strategy studio for businesses that hate business-as-usual.
Born in Hong Kong, in 2017, we work with restless founders, operators, and teams who’d rather break things thoughtfully than grow them blandly. We don’t do generic decks or bloated strategies—we build clarity, guts, and traction.
From street-level restaurants to global brands, from Asia to Europe, we help shape ideas that move fast when it matters, and slow when it counts.
→ Explore more at hari.wtf
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