Collaboration is useless
Date
Nov 12, 2025
Classification
- Startups
#
- Organization/Leadership
"Going Together Goes Far?" If You Want to Ruin a Startup, Do That.
🫑 3-Line Summary
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The adage "If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together" can be a dangerous trap that slows down the speed, which is the most powerful weapon of an early-stage startup.
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Under the principle of "You're the Driver," PostHog established a culture of reducing the use of the phrase "Let's discuss" and receiving feedback after execution.
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Keep in mind that an organization can move faster and further only when unnecessary collaboration is reduced and individuals have full decision-making power.
🥦 Insight
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Stop 'shirking responsibility' in the name of collaboration.
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Did you perhaps overuse phrases like "What do you think about this?" or "Let's decide in a meeting" on Slack again today? To be blunt, for early-stage startups, excessive collaboration is not "working together," but "holding each other back."
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The real reason many founders and practitioners prefer collaboration might be 'fear.' It is an unconscious defense mechanism to share the responsibility in case they fail after making a decision alone. However, speed is the lifeblood of a startup. It is much better to launch quickly and fix things, even if they are rough, than to spend time trying to reach a perfect agreement.
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CEO, designate a 'driver' within the organization right now. And hand the steering wheel over to them completely. Act only as the navigator from the passenger seat; never take the wheel or step on the brakes for them. The courage to say "Just do stuff" is what truly takes the team 'far'.
— View original —
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The adage "Go fast alone, go far together" can ruin a startup.
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Efficient collaboration should be at the level of navigation assistance while driving, but most companies suffer from slowdowns due to excessive feedback and dispersion of roles.
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Under the value "You're the Driver," PostHog emphasizes autonomy and high ownership while minimizing unnecessary collaboration.
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The causes of excessive collaboration are analyzed as a desire to be helpful, an inclusive culture, unclear feedback requests, the overuse of 'let's discuss,' and avoidance of responsibility.
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The solution is a practical approach of prioritizing immediate deployment , clarifying responsibilities , requesting feedback only from necessary people , providing post-launch feedback , and immediately blocking unnecessary collaboration.
The Pitfalls of Collaboration
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The saying "If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together" slowly kills the company.
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This is a trap that justifies excessive collaboration
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Useful collaboration is at the level of providing directions or surrounding information while driving.
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However, most organizations fall into inefficient collaboration where everyone takes turns steering.
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Appropriate feedback allows you to reach your destination quickly, but excessive feedback slows you down and puts you at risk of failing to reach your desired location.
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