Ben Horowitz underscores the vital importance of maintaining lean and agile teams in the venture capital world, asserting that even the largest and most established firms can achieve exceptional performance when their investing teams remain intentionally small in size. He draws a deliberate comparison between effective investment groups and the dynamics of a basketball team—compact, cohesive, and capable of fluid collaboration—rather than the vast and segmented structure of a football roster. By limiting the number of participants, each member of the team is empowered to make faster decisions, communicate more effectively, and react with precision to the unpredictable shifts of the financial landscape.
At Andreessen Horowitz, this philosophy translates into a culture that values efficiency and deliberate collaboration over sheer manpower. The firm’s success demonstrates that scalability does not necessarily require expansion in numbers but rather the cultivation of deep expertise and mutual understanding within a concentrated team. The smaller size encourages sharper focus, fosters accountability, and enables swift strategic pivots—qualities that are indispensable in today’s hyper-competitive startup ecosystem.
In broader terms, Horowitz’s perspective serves as a reminder to leaders across industries that growth should not be confused with bloat. Compact, highly skilled teams often outperform their larger counterparts because they can innovate without bureaucratic delays and maintain stronger interpersonal chemistry. In the same way a basketball team relies on trust, adaptability, and seamless coordination to win, venture teams thrive when each participant fulfills a distinct role with precision and contributes to a shared vision. Through this analogy, Horowitz reinforces the timeless principle that quality, adaptability, and unity consistently outweigh mere numbers in achieving sustainable excellence.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/ben-horowitz-investing-teams-size-a16z-vc-venture-capital-2026-1
