My tin-foil-hat-theory is that the most valuable things many programmers do at their company is not working for a competitor.
A small team is not only more efficient, but is overall more productive.
The 100-person team produces 100 widgets a day, and the 10-person team produces 200 widgets a day.
But, if the industry becomes filled with the knowledge of how to produce 200 widgets a day with 10 people, and there are also a lot of unemployed widget makers looking for work, and the infrastructure required to produce widgets costs approximately 0 dollars, then suddenly there is no moat for the big widget making companies.
A small team is not only more efficient, but is overall more productive.
The 100-person team produces 100 widgets a day, and the 10-person team produces 200 widgets a day.
But, if the industry becomes filled with the knowledge of how to produce 200 widgets a day with 10 people, and there are also a lot of unemployed widget makers looking for work, and the infrastructure required to produce widgets costs approximately 0 dollars, then suddenly there is no moat for the big widget making companies.