Communication Isn’t Extra Work — It Saves It
- kennylwu
- Jul 9
- 2 min read
In early-stage startups, teams are usually small. Three to five people is already a “mid-sized” team. You’d think with such a lean setup, communication would be easy — or at least manageable.
But that’s often not the case.
Many teams skip communication not because they’re arrogant or trying to go solo, but because they think it’s more efficient to just get things done. “I’ll just do it first, then tell the team later” feels like saving time.
But what it actually saves in the short term, it often costs back in double later on.
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
— George Bernard Shaw
A Real-World Example
Take this situation:
A startup team of three is assigned to do a market analysis. They briefly divide tasks, but two members end up working — unknowingly — on the same thing.
What happens next?
They both produce similar (but not identical) reports
They now need a meeting to decide which to use
One person’s entire afternoon becomes wasted effort
Reassigning tasks takes more time, and delays the whole workflow
In short, what could’ve been avoided with five minutes of alignment now becomes hours of inefficiency. And for startups, where time and energy are your scarcest resources, that’s a serious opportunity cost.
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
— African proverb
A Simple Fix: The 10-Minute Stand-Up
One highly effective method we recommend:
Do a 10-minute stand-up meeting every day.
Each team member answers just three questions:
What did I do yesterday?
What am I working on today?
Is there anything blocking me?
That’s it. No slides, no fancy tools. Just talk.
This lightweight routine keeps everyone on the same page, reduces overlap, and makes invisible work visible. It also creates space for collaboration to happen before things go wrong.
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
— Helen Keller
Communication Builds Community
There’s a reason why the word community starts with communicate — because at its core, a community is built through open, honest, and frequent communication.
In a startup, your “team” isn’t just a group of people working side by side. It’s a mini-community — one that thrives when people share ideas early, give feedback freely, and aren’t afraid to ask for help.
At Macao Startup Club, we believe communication isn’t just a tactic — it’s a value. Whether you’re building your MVP, preparing your first pitch, or just trying to survive another Monday, having people you can talk to — and learn from — makes all the difference.
“No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you’re playing a solo game, you’ll always lose out to a team.”
— Reid Hoffman, Co-founder of LinkedIn
So even beyond your own team, tap into your wider community. Talk to other founders. Ask dumb questions. Share what worked — and what didn’t.
That’s how we grow, together.
What About You?
What communication habits have worked for your team?
We’d love to hear how you avoid (or deal with) misalignment in small teams.
Let’s build better, together.
