Embrace ‘Bad’ Management When Hypergrowth Is the Goal

When PayPal was a tiny team growing into a global company, confusion reigned: job titles changed overnight, note-taking was haphazard, and decisions were rapid and sometimes poorly documented. By traditional standards, the organization was a mess. But the chaos also allowed the team to pivot four times in a year, jump on new opportunities ahead of any rival, and survive sudden crises as talent and attention swarmed the most urgent fires. Each member, from the newest coder to top managers, was expected to dive in where needed—even if it meant tasks far from their official roles. As a result, PayPal could keep moving, change course instantly, and make up for lost ground with grit. There were times team members grumbled about unclear expectations, but no one doubted that the rapid messiness was what kept them alive long enough to win.

Management theory defines this as “improvised organization,” where resilience and information flow outweigh optimization and perfect structure—especially in high-uncertainty, fast-moving environments. Once stability becomes possible, some mess must be replaced with process, but too early an emphasis on order often kills agility and demoralizes fast-moving teams.

When your team or group seems to be stumbling over shifting job roles or constant changes, don’t panic or double down on order just yet. Recognize this as a sign that you’re in a high-growth phase where flexibility beats rigid structure. Encourage everyone to focus on output and finding what uniquely works for your team. Jot down what surprisingly helps and what clearly flops, so you can codify the learning later. Remember, embracing managed chaos for a period—while keeping a hand on the wheel—may speed you past more careful, but slower, competitors. Give the team permission to be imperfect for now.