Which software development methodologies work best for small teams?

[Mia95]

Our team is growing from 2 to 5 developers and we need to adopt more structure. What software development methodologies have you found work well for small teams? I'm looking for approaches that provide guidance without becoming overly bureaucratic. How do different software engineering best practices apply to teams of different sizes?

[James.D]

For small teams, I've found that lightweight software development methodologies work best. Something like Scrum but adapted to your team's size. Daily standups (but keep them short), weekly planning, and regular retrospectives. The key is to maintain flexibility while providing enough structure to coordinate. Software engineering best practices like code reviews and pair programming scale well to small teams.

[AlexanderA]

Kanban works well for small teams because it's visual and flexible. You can see work in progress and adjust as needed. For teams of 5, you might not need all the ceremonies of larger methodologies. Focus on communication (regular syncs), visibility (what's being worked on), and feedback (code reviews, retrospectives). These software development methodologies principles apply at any scale.

[Alexander.L]

I'd recommend starting with the basics: version control workflow, code review process, and some form of task tracking. As you grow, you can add more structure. The mistake many teams make is adopting a methodology because it's popular rather than because it fits their needs. For small teams, simplicity and adaptability are more important than strict adherence to any particular software development methodologies.