Building a 10x Organization Even When You’re Small and Scrappy

Waze, now a household name for real-time maps, started not as a mapping juggernaut but as a tiny team with a clear insight: instead of investing millions into installing physical road sensors, they could treat smartphone users as moving traffic detectors. By opening their platform to crowd-sourced traffic info, Waze gained data from thousands, then millions, of drivers—all updating road conditions at zero extra marginal cost. Compare that to Nokia, who spent billions acquiring Navteq for its hardwired sensor networks, only to find themselves outrun by a nimble upstart scaling through network effects. The lesson echoes across industries—small organizations that think externally and leverage shared, information-rich assets routinely leapfrog bigger, asset-heavy competitors. From open-source software communities to co-working makerspaces, those who “rent, don’t own” maximize agility and impact, multiplying their reach far beyond their headcount.

Take inventory of all the untapped resources—the communities, tools, and platforms—you could access without ownership. Reach out to at least one group connected to your goals, inviting them to help you solve a challenge or add their expertise. Create a basic system, even just a shared document or a quick online poll, so these outsiders can offer input or assets. You might be amazed by how quickly your capacity grows when you stop trying to do everything yourself. Test these steps this week and discover just how much further you can go by collaborating beyond your own four walls.