Less Hierarchy, More Results: What Startups Understand About People

Companies are struggling to adjust their teams — but why? In my opinion, the problem isn’t just about the economy or the mass layoffs that have become frequent. The real challenge lies in the difficulty of understanding what truly motivates high-level people.

When I talk about high-level people, I’m not just referring to those with important positions or years of experience. I’m talking about professionals who love what they do, who constantly study, who often dedicate many more hours than required, driven by curiosity and purpose.

The Problem with Traditional Structures

If you think about basic theory, companies are teams of people competing with other teams. And the mix for success is extremely complex. Yet what we see are companies doing layoffs and trying to copy the “lean” startup model — but without understanding what really makes a startup work: freedom, purpose, and speed.

High-level people don’t like bureaucracy. They like the freedom to create, develop, and speak their minds. They don’t feel comfortable in structures where there are more layers of management than execution. Much less when they need to ask for authorization for every small decision.

Attracting and retaining high-level people requires much more than money. They seek environments that trust them, that give space to fail, learn, and grow. Startups and companies with a modern mindset typically offer this: fewer rules, more autonomy.

What Really Motivates Top Talent

Many organizations still believe that it’s enough to adopt agile methodologies, put colorful bean bags in the office, and create squads with creative names. But the truth is that what attracts and retains exceptional talent is something deeper: purpose and trust.

These people want to know why they’re doing something, what impact their work generates, and how they can contribute to decisions. They don’t accept being mere executors of orders from a manager who measures productivity in endless spreadsheets and reports.

Overly hierarchical companies end up losing valuable talent because the distance between those who think and those who execute is enormous. Organizations that function like startups, even at large scale, create environments of autonomy, clarity, and speed.

High-level people don’t need to be managed, they need inspiring leadership and clear direction.

The leader’s role is to remove obstacles, open pathways, and create conditions for ideas to flourish — not to micromanage every detail.

In the End

What keeps these people engaged is simple:

• Real challenges that stimulate learning and impact.
• Freedom with responsibility to create and experiment.
• Recognition and purpose, more than bonuses and titles.

Companies that understand this will become talent magnets and build high-performance teams. Those that don’t… will continue hiring, firing, and wondering why they can never keep the best for very long.