Organizational boundary problems: too many cooks or not enough kitchens?

Elizabeth Ayer's insightful analysis reveals how open cultures can paradoxically create exclusion when unlimited participation makes spaces too big, causing work to shift to smaller informal groups that lock out others. The article demonstrates how successful openness requires intentional organizational design, treating team structures like commercial kitchen stations where each cook has a defined role and workspace. Engineering leaders will learn that structure always exists, so making it explicit and intentional is the foundation for effective, inclusive teams. The piece provides practical frameworks for balancing openness with structure, citing resources like Team Topologies and Dynamic Reteaming to help leaders design sustainable collaborative environments.