Working Alone Together: The Danger of Unseen Silos

The strategy is set. Team roles are clear. KPIs are defined. Everyone’s focused and working diligently—with the best intent—to hit goals and move fast.

All seems to be working well… but something’s not quite clicking across teams.

Deals are closing. Customer feedback is rolling in. Product is building, Customer Success is responding, Marketing is creating momentum. Yet under the surface, there's a subtle misalignment.

Operations and Product Development are optimizing for scalability and internal timelines, while the Business Development team is out front trying to close high-stakes deals—without always having the insights, flexibility, or support they need. Everyone’s working hard. Everyone’s doing their part. But still, things feel… off.

Welcome to the modern startup paradox: working alone together.

What Does “Working Alone Together” Mean?

It’s what happens when individuals—or even entire teams—start operating in silos without realizing it. Everyone’s in motion, but not necessarily in sync. There’s communication, sure, but not enough real connection. There’s progress, but not shared purpose.

It’s kind of like a band where each musician is playing a different song—but they’re all on beat. Technically, they’re performing together, but it sounds… off.

When Team Goals Come Before Meeting Delivery to Customers

One of the biggest drivers of this disconnection? Teams get laser-focused on their own goals. And while focus drives momentum, in a startup, narrow focus can mean missing the bigger picture.

For example:

• Product is optimizing for feature velocity

• Marketing is chasing engagement metrics

• Engineering is focused on R&D and Technology

• Operations is focused on efficiency and work load prioritising

• Design is polishing the experience

• Business Development is trying to close strategic deals

  
  

All valid goals—but when each team is optimizing for their slice of the pie, no one's baking the whole thing. And when the needs of Business Development or Sales aren’t factored into product timelines or operational decisions, it sends the message: “Our goals come first.”

In reality, every team’s success should be interdependent. Prioritizing individual goals at the cost of shared outcomes weakens collaboration—and ultimately, customer value.

The Hidden Risks of Unseen Silos

Unseen silos are especially tricky because they don’t look like dysfunction at first. They show up in subtle ways:

• Looping in other teams at the last minute

• Making decisions without broader context

• Misaligning on priorities, timelines, or outcomes

• Operating under the assumption that “they’ll figure it out”

  
  

By the time you notice the impact—missed opportunities, customer frustration, launch confusion—it’s already too late.

Emotional Sensitivity: The Missing Ingredient in Outcome-Driven Teams

For teams that are highly technical, operational, or process-driven, communication is often clear, efficient, and task-oriented. But cross-functional collaboration requires a bit more than clean handoffs—it requires emotional sensitivity.

Here’s why it matters:

• A quick, precise response might sound cold to a teammate who’s under pressure.

• A delayed answer might look like indifference.

• A lack of curiosity can quietly chip away at trust.

  
  

You don’t have to change how you think—just expand how you connect. Emotional intelligence isn’t soft—it’s strategic. It improves collaboration, reduces friction, and helps teams work with each other, not just next to each other.

Signs You Might Be Siloing Without Realizing It

You might be working in a silo if:

• You’re focused mostly on your team’s roadmap, not the company’s broader goals

• You rarely check in with other teams unless there's a blocker

• You’re surprised by changes that directly affect your work

• You measure success by team KPIs—not shared business or customer outcomes

• You assume others should adapt to your team’s process without question

• You think, “Why don’t they just trust us?” instead of asking, “Do they feel included?”

  
  

How to Break Out of the “Alone Together” Trap

Startups move fast—but alignment isn’t a luxury. It’s a multiplier. Here’s how to fix the misalignment before it becomes culture:

1. Shift from “My Team’s Work” to “Our Company’s Impact”

When teams align around outcomes instead of just outputs, collaboration stops being an obligation—and becomes a shared instinct.

2. Overcommunicate Early, Not Just Often

Share plans before they’re fully baked. Invite feedback from other functions. Ask, “How might this affect you?”

3. Bring Context, Not Just Updates

Don’t just explain what you’re doing—explain why you’re doing it and how it impacts others. That context builds alignment and ownership.

4. Practice Emotional Awareness in Communication

Be thoughtful about tone, timing, and transparency. Build bridges with empathy, especially when priorities compete.

5. Create Informal Connection Loops

Not everything needs a meeting. Async check-ins, quick brainstorms, shared docs, even memes—relationships grow from small moments.

6. Celebrate Interdependent Wins

Launches are great. But highlight how cross-functional collaboration made them possible. That’s the culture cue.

In Summary

In a startup(and in some mature organisations), silos don’t show up in the org chart—they show up in the daily choices we make. When teams work next to each other, but not with each other, things fall through the cracks. And the cracks usually lead straight to the customer.

So take a step back. Look beyond your roadmap. Ask yourself:Are we playing the same song, or just playing at the same time?

Because the best outcomes don’t come from individual mastery—they come from shared rhythm.