How This $2B+ Technology Company is Preparing for the Future [Ft. Elia Wallen, Engine]

Most boards pressure founders to reduce direct reports as they scale. Elia Wallen took the opposite approach: he manages 15 direct reports while growing Engine past 1,000 employees to a $2.1B valuation, and he eliminated the Chief Product Officer role entirely. His logic: additional management layers slow decision-making when speed matters most. When you build talent density and restructure one-on-ones around problem-solving instead of status updates, you can operate with higher spans of control.‍