Snap CEO Evan Spiegel said the social network is already seeing the success of smaller teams.
“We have already witnessed small squads leveraging AI tools to drive meaningful progress across several important initiatives, including Snapchat+, enhanced ad platform performance, and efficiency improvements in our Snap Lite infrastructure,” Spiegel wrote in an April letter.
At the time, Spiegel reiterated that Snap is “facing a crucible moment” requiring a new way of working that is “is faster and more efficient.” Snap laid off roughly 16% of its full-time workforce.
Spiegel had previously laid out an ambitious plan for streamlined teams, which he compared to startups.
“Five to seven teams—squads of 10 to 15 people—will run like startups inside Snap, with single-threaded leaders accountable for outcomes,” he wrote in a September 2025 letter. “Weekly demo days, 90-day mission cycles, and a culture of fast failure will keep us moving.”