When should you establish a Developer Productivity team?

Choosing when to establish a dedicated Developer Productivity (DevProd) team is one of the most important decisions engineering leaders face. Moving too early can waste resources, while waiting too long can allow inefficiencies to compound and drag down engineering productivity. This report analyzes how 20 companies—including DoorDash, Yelp, Disney, and Lattice—decided when to invest, what triggered their first teams, and whether they felt they acted at the right time.

What drives the timing of a DevProd team

The companies we studied formed DevProd teams at very different stages of growth—some as early as 50 engineers, others with thousands. Timing depended less on headcount and more on existing productivity challenges. Non-tech firms like Disney and Thomson Reuters delayed due to prior platform engineering investments, while companies like Lattice and Cash App found that waiting until around 100 engineers already felt late.

Triggers that force the investment decision

Most DevProd teams were created in response to unavoidable bottlenecks or major shifts, such as cloud migrations, architectural changes, or scaling challenges. Others emerged when volunteer-led efforts to standardize tools and processes proved insufficient. These moments made it clear that improving developer productivity required dedicated ownership and focus.

Improving developer productivity before a team exists

Several companies boosted team productivity without a formal DevProd function by embedding best practices into engineering culture. Atlassian, for example, mandated time for developer experience work. Others relied on internal champions and data-driven insights to drive productivity initiatives until a formal team could be established.

Insights for engineering leaders

The lesson from these 20 companies is clear: the best time to create a DevProd team depends on your organization’s productivity pain points, not just headcount. For leaders seeking practical guidance on how to improve developer productivity and when to make the investment, this report provides real-world examples and actionable benchmarks.