team dynamics
reflections on what makes teams work, from math competitions to startup internships.
the bandwidth principle
"more bandwidth in comms is always better: meet often, be as synced as possible." see resyncing for specific tools.
the opposite — splitting things equally and working independently — feels efficient but produces worse results. the sum of parts equals whole, just multiprocessing but worse. real collaboration requires overlap, redundancy, and constant communication.
good environments
the three qualities of a good team environment:
- honest — people say what they actually think, see feedback-and-honesty
- urgent — there's energy and momentum, not slack
- stress-free — urgency without anxiety. this is the hard balance.
assume no ill will
from a math competition team experience: i felt the team wasn't doing strong work, wasn't on the same page. i got suspicious of people's effort and intentions.
the realization: "these are all just my perceptions, many times wrong or exaggerated." suspicion makes team dynamic cooked. the better stance:
- assume no ill will
- assume everyone is fighting their own battle
- express what you feel and why it matters (see feedback-and-honesty)
- don't ask for anything specific — just share, then keep working
values over output
"i value my relationship with these people — even if we submit a perfect thing but become farther apart, that's not worth it." this is a non-obvious priority: the relationship matters more than the deliverable. a team that stays connected produces better work long-term, even if the immediate output suffers.
the looking-down trap
"at school, sometimes look down on people thus try to do a lot of work myself." this is ego-driven and counterproductive. the fix: invest in the team, build people up (see gratitude-and-appreciation), and trust the collective.
picking people
"picking the right people is very important, working with people you don't vibe with is tiring." and the related lesson: "figure out what you want earlier and optimize for that" — from a hackathon partner search.
you can't always choose your team, but when you can, optimize for vibe and complementary skills. when you can't, invest in relationship-repair.
community building
"community is definitely not as easy as some good descriptions, maybe some food." building community requires sustained effort beyond the obvious. this connects to intentionality — community doesn't happen by accident.