Forget about the 10x engineer, build a 10x team instead

👋 Welcome to today’s edition of Build & lead (formerly the CTO blueprint), a newsletter by Appolica. Every two weeks, we dive deep into the tech, product, and leadership challenges that keep founders up at night.

The "10x engineer" has been the tech industry’s favorite topic for years. The lone genius who codes at lightning speed, effortlessly solves complex problems, and single-handedly scales a startup to unicorn status.

Sounds great. Too bad it’s (mostly) a myth.

If you’re building an engineering team for early-stage startups (seed to Series A stage), your focus shouldn't be on hunting for a mythical 10x individual. You need a 10x team - a group of engineers who amplify each other’s strengths, work collaboratively, and deliver outsized impact together.

At Appolica, we’ve learned that exceptional teams aren’t built by stacking great coders. They’re built in a culture where every team member makes others better.

A 10x team isn’t a collection of high performers; it’s more of a system where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We’ve seen that these teams share a common set of principles that help them move fast and solve real problems.

In early-stage startups, engineers must wear multiple hats. A 10x team thrives on autonomy, with each member capable of taking an idea from concept to execution without waiting for hand-holding or micromanagement.

Engineers act like co-founders, not task executors. They ask the right questions, challenge assumptions, and take full ownership of outcomes.

A 10x team doesn’t build for the sake of building. It’s obsessed with solving real user problems. Every person in the team, regardless of their role, cares deeply about the end customer and actively participates in user interactions.

Talking to users isn’t just for product managers. Engineers who interact with customers gain direct insights, iterate faster, and make better product decisions.

Early-stage startups always have more work than resources. A 10x team excels at cutting through noise and delivering only the most impactful features or fixes.

Instead of trying to do everything at once, they focus their energy on initiatives that move the needle for customers or the business. Ruthless prioritization ensures they don’t burn out while maintaining momentum.

A 10x team understands that individual success = team success. It's not about who's the smartest in the room. What matters is how you amplify each other's strengths.

When someone’s stuck, the team rallies. It’s a Three Musketeers type of thing - “all for one and one for all”, but with more caffeine and less fancy hats.

Speed matters a lot in startups and it will always beat perfection. A 10x team ships MVPs fast, collects feedback, and iterates rather than obsessing over perfection from day one. No over-engineering, no wasted effort - this way, you’ll be able to pivot as needed.

Embrace the "oops" moments. Failed experiments aren't failures - they're plot twists. Learn from them, laugh about them, then build something even cooler.

Being great at one technology is fine. Being adaptable is better. A 10x team embraces new frameworks, tools, and approaches to build better products.

They don’t get stuck in “this is how we’ve always done it” thinking. They evolve with the product, the business, and the industry.

A 10x team isn’t just a group of people who work well together - it’s a group that actually likes working together.

They celebrate wins together, support each other during challenges, and foster a sense of belonging. This translates into better collaboration, increased productivity, and a more resilient team that can face both the ups and downs.

A great engineering team doesn’t happen by accident. You can’t just hire a handful of smart people and hope for the best. Startups move fast, and if your team isn’t aligned, adaptable, and working toward a common goal, things fall apart (fast).

Confidence is good. Big egos? Not so much. While confidence is important, too many strong personalities can lead to power struggles.

During interviews, look for candidates who demonstrate humility alongside their skills. Ask about past team experiences and how they handle disagreements.

Create a culture where the best ideas win, not the loudest voices. Encourage constructive debate, but prioritize team success over individual recognition.

Look for engineers who are proactive, curious, and adaptable. Early-stage startups need generalists who can handle everything from infrastructure to UX design.

Side projects or open-source contributions often signal a genuine love for building, which is an essential trait for startup engineers.

If you want engineers to think like founders, treat them like founders. Give them meaningful equity, involve them in key decisions, and make sure they understand the business impact of their work.

Avoid over-complicating workflows with rigid hierarchies or excessive meetings. Remove all friction points so that people can focus solely on high-impact work they love doing.

The best engineers don’t just write great code, they also communicate well (with both non-technical stakeholders and teammates). They can explain ideas clearly, document decisions, and collaborate across functions.

Invest in tools and practices that facilitate asynchronous communication - especially if your team is remote or distributed across time zones.

Competing with Big tech on compensation is tough. Instead, you can offer something better: meaningful work, rapid growth, and real ownership.

Be transparent about your mission and values; top engineers are drawn to companies where they can make an impact.

The myth of the 10x engineer is seductive, but ultimately limiting. The best startups aren’t built by lone geniuses; they’re built by highly effective teams.

If you create an environment where engineers own their work, prioritize impact, and collaborate without ego, you won’t just build great products—you’ll build a culture that attracts even more top-tier talent.

And that’s how you create a startup dream team—one that’s truly 10x.

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Want to see more of us? Have a look at our LinkedIn account. Interested in what we do? Visit appolica.com.

Thanks for reading & until next time.

Best,

Martin & the Appolica team