Answer extracted from the Pegasus Radio podcast — listen to the full episode below.
How does Accaloft scale its team beyond 10 direct employees?
Accaloft maintains fewer than 10 directly employed staff but runs an associate model that scales flexibly to approximately 20 people. This structure lets the firm bring in specialized expertise for specific projects while keeping monthly operating costs controlled and predictable.
The lean core team philosophy reflects a deliberate choice made early in Accaloft's founding. Rather than building a large payroll immediately, Jamie Hillier and his co-founders designed the business to grow through trusted associate partnerships that activate only when needed. This approach proved especially valuable given that Accaloft launched in November or December 2019—just before the pandemic hit—making cost discipline a hard necessity rather than an option.
As the Pegasus Radio episode explores, the scaling model works because the three core service lines—ESG and social value, industrialized construction advice, and commercial management—each demand different expertise at different project phases. Rather than hiring permanently for every skill, Accaloft brings in specialists when a particular engagement requires depth in a specific area.
"We have got massive productivity issues that if we do not fix, we're going to be in a real mess in five or ten years."
Jamie Hillier — Co-founder and Partner, Accaloft. After nearly 20 years at a tier one major contractor—where he progressed from site QS to pre-construction director for the major projects business, covering estimating, digital design, planning, and site-related activities—Hillier founded Accaloft to close the gap between strategic ambitions and on-site delivery. He brings deep expertise in construction procurement, industrialized methods, and embedding better practices at the pre-construction stage.
The financial discipline behind this model is intentional. Early on, Hillier maintained six months of cash reserves before hiring any new permanent employee—a practice rooted in building sustainable momentum rather than chasing rapid growth. This conservative stance reflects a broader philosophy: spend time and resources optimizing current operations before scaling headcount.
Interestingly, the episode also covers how Accaloft thinks about stakeholder perspectives, drawing lessons from practices like Amazon's "spare chair" method, which has shaped how the firm structures its advisory relationships and associate partnerships.
Staying lean while serving complex mandates
The sub-10 permanent team works because Accaloft's service model relies on deep specialization rather than breadth. Each of the three co-founders steers a distinct function—one leads the social value work, another procurement and commercial matters—creating clear ownership and accountability. When a project requires additional firepower in one area, associates fill that gap temporarily without inflating the fixed cost base.
This structure also aligns with Accaloft's market positioning. The firm works with organizations managing complex, multi-stakeholder mandates—including clients like Ministry of Justice, MHCLG, and major developers—where specialist input matters more than team size. The Pegasus Radio discussion details how this approach addresses the productivity crises affecting the broader construction sector, by embedding better practices earlier rather than managing problems downstream.
Key takeaways
- Accaloft's core team is sub-10 employees, designed for sustainability and cost control from day one.
- An associate model scales the firm to approximately 20 people, activating specialist expertise only when projects require it.
- Six months of cash reserves before hiring and a focus on optimizing current operations reflects deliberate financial discipline.
- Three co-founders each own a core service stream—social value, procurement, and commercial management—creating clear accountability across the business.
See also
When was Accaloft founded and what prompted its creation?
The business was founded just before the pandemic in November or December 2019, coming up for seven years old. Jamie left a major contractor because he felt there was a gap between strategic ambitions and on-site delivery, and founded Accaloft with two other partners to bridge that gap.
What are the three core service lines of Accaloft?
Accaloft provides services around ESG and social value, helping clients ensure their products deliver positive impact; industrialised construction support; and commercial management. These three service streams are integrated to stitch together strategic intent with practical delivery.
What are the three core service lines that Akerlof provides?
Akerlof provides services around ESG and social value to help clients ensure products deliver positive impact for places and people; industrialized construction advice; and commercial management, all integrated to bridge strategic vision with site-level execution.