"Reteaming is inevitable. We might as well get better at it because we're going to have to deal with it."
Teams at fast-growing companies are constantly changing—it's not a bug, it's a feature
The "five patterns" of reteaming happen at all levels: individual, team, org-wide
Focus on the people layer alongside product delivery
Most leadership books ignore this reality; reteaming requires active skill-building
The Five Patterns
How Teams Actually Change
One by One: Hiring and departures at the company level
Grow & Split: One large team divides into multiple focused teams
Merging: Multiple teams consolidate (shrinking pattern)
Isolation: Create a "beneficial silo" with process freedom for innovation
Switching: Individual movement between teams for learning and growth
Reorg vs. Reteaming"Reorg" implies top-down, one-time organizational change. "Reteaming" is any team pattern change at any level—happening continuously, not just once a year.
The Expertcity story
Isolation at its best: A team built SecureDocs in isolation at AppFolio, given complete freedom. It became its own successful product line—later acquired.
Whiteboard transparency
At Procore, visualizing team structure on whiteboards (with names, missions, open roles) helped 80 people self-select into new positions and spot design flaws.
Making Change Stick
Frameworks for Leading Reteaming
Transitions (Bridges): Every change has endings, a neutral zone, and new beginnings. Don't skip the emotional middle.
RIDE Framework: Clarify who's Requesting, who gives Input, who Decides, and who Executes. Not all change is democratic—be clear on decision-making.
Time box ruthlessly: "Make a schedule biased towards shorter as opposed to longer." Deliberation fatigue kills momentum.
Story of our team: When teams merge, have each create a timeline of their milestones. Share history. Build belonging.