Large teams are good for the obvious reason that they provide jobs to many. This reason is helpful in countries like India with a large population, but this noble reason is not why employers build large teams. The real reason is a "people are bodies" mentality.
Can small teams be equally or more impactful? Take S'well, for instance.
Harvard grad Sarah Kauss launched environmentally-friendly yet stylish water bottles called S'well in 2010. The Oprah magazine put S'well on its coveted "O list" ... At Starbucks, the bottles were a hit even without any special signage ... Actor Guy Pearce puts them in his movies, saying "I love the bottles and the company's whole ethos" ... Actress Kaley Cuoco's photo with the bottle crashed S'well's website. Founder Kauss' startup expects to make $10 million this year.
How many employees does the company have? Just 22.