Growing Pains: How Codebridge is Tackling the Challenge of Scaling Beyond 70 Employees

Scaling a company isn’t just about hiring more people—it’s about maintaining efficiency, culture, and innovation while growing. Codebridge has been on an impressive trajectory, expanding from a small internal tech team at KPMG to a standalone powerhouse in software development. Yet, despite increasing revenue and demand, the company has hit a scaling plateau at 70 employees.

Why is breaking this barrier proving to be so challenging? And what strategies is Codebridge implementing to overcome its current growth limitations? This article explores the growing pains of an ambitious tech firm and the solutions it’s pursuing to scale effectively.

The Growth Ceiling: Why 70 Employees?

For many companies, growth is linear—more revenue equals more hires. But for Codebridge, the reality is more complex. The company has found itself stuck at the 70-employee mark for several reasons:

• Leadership bottleneck: At this size, every additional hire requires significant managerial oversight.
• Cultural preservation: Rapid expansion risks diluting the high-performance culture that makes Codebridge successful.
• Process complexity: More employees mean more moving parts, requiring better workflows to maintain efficiency.
• Market changes: The rise of AI-driven coding and automation is reshaping how tech firms scale.

Codebridge’s Competitive Edge: What Got Them Here

To understand the scaling challenge, it’s essential to recognize what made Codebridge successful in the first place.

1. KPMG Heritage and Expertise in Complex Projects

Unlike traditional dev shops, Codebridge was born from KPMG’s Product Development Center (PDC), meaning the team had firsthand experience working on high-stakes, enterprise-grade software.

2. UX-First Approach to Software Development

Unlike many firms that prioritize functionality over usability, Codebridge places UX at the core of its process, ensuring that software isn’t just powerful but also intuitive.

3. Data-Driven Hiring and Talent Acquisition Strategy

With over 24,000 applications in three years, Codebridge has built a scalable hiring funnel to attract top-tier talent efficiently.

Scaling Pains: The Core Challenges in Growing Beyond 70 Employees

1. Leadership Bottleneck

As companies grow, leadership must transition from direct involvement in daily operations to empowering middle management. Codebridge is refining its leadership structure to enable autonomy while maintaining alignment with its core vision.

2. Process Complexity

More employees introduce new layers of communication and coordination challenges. Codebridge is actively refining its internal workflows to prevent bottlenecks.

3. Talent Retention and Culture Scaling

Hiring isn’t just about numbers—it’s about keeping the right people. Codebridge is enhancing its mentorship programs, internal growth opportunities, and culture-building initiatives to retain top talent.

Leveraging AI and Automation to Overcome Scaling Barriers

To scale efficiently, Codebridge is investing in AI-driven solutions:

By integrating AI into its processes, Codebridge aims to grow sustainably without sacrificing quality.

Exploring New Revenue Channels and Market Expansion

Growth isn’t just about hiring—it’s also about diversifying revenue streams. Codebridge is exploring:

1. Enterprise Partnerships – Moving beyond Upwork to secure larger, long-term contracts.
2. SaaS Development – Creating proprietary tech products instead of only offering development services.
3. Geographic Expansion – Expanding into new markets with strong tech demand.

Conclusion: What’s Next for Codebridge?

Breaking through the 70-employee barrier will require:

• Empowering a new layer of leadership
• Optimizing internal processes and automation
• Expanding revenue streams beyond traditional client work

With a strong foundation, data-driven approach, and AI-assisted workflows, Codebridge is positioning itself for the next phase of scalable growth.