Why project structure scales with team size in dbt - Visual Breakdown

Concept Flow - Why project structure scales with team size

Start: Small Team

↓

Simple Project Structure

↓

Team Grows

↓

More People, More Work

↓

Need Clear Structure

↓

Divide Project into Modules

↓

Assign Teams to Modules

↓

Better Collaboration & Scaling

↓

Project Structure Supports Team Size

As the team grows, the project structure evolves from simple to modular to support collaboration and scaling.

Execution Sample

dbt

models/
  sales/
    sales_summary.sql
  marketing/
    campaign_performance.sql
  finance/
    revenue_report.sql

A dbt project organized into folders by team area to help multiple teams work independently.

Execution Table

Step	Team Size	Project Structure	Reason	Effect
1	1-2	Flat folder with all models	Few people, easy to manage	Simple and fast development
2	3-5	Add folders by domain	More people, need separation	Less conflict, clearer ownership
3	6-10	Modules with subfolders and docs	Teams specialize by domain	Better collaboration and review
4	10+	Strict modular structure with tests	Large teams, complex projects	Scalable, maintainable, clear responsibilities
5	End	Project structure matches team size	To avoid chaos and confusion	Efficient teamwork and delivery

💡 Project structure evolves as team size grows to maintain efficiency and clarity.

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start (Small Team)	After Growth 1	After Growth 2	After Growth 3	Final (Large Team)
Team Size	2	4	8	12	15
Project Structure	Flat	Domain folders	Modules with docs	Strict modular	Strict modular
Collaboration	Simple	Improved	Better	Efficient	Efficient
Conflicts	Low	Moderate	Low	Very Low	Very Low

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why can't a flat project structure work well for large teams?

Because as shown in execution_table step 4, large teams need strict modular structures to avoid conflicts and confusion.

How does dividing the project into modules help teams?

It allows teams to work independently on different parts, reducing overlap and improving collaboration, as seen in step 3.

What happens to collaboration as the project structure evolves?

Collaboration improves from simple to efficient as the structure becomes more organized, shown in variable_tracker under 'Collaboration'.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, at which step does the project structure first include modules with documentation?

A Step 2

B Step 4

C Step 3

D Step 1

💡 Hint

Check the 'Project Structure' column in execution_table rows.

According to variable_tracker, what is the team size when the project structure becomes 'Strict modular'?

A 4

B 12

C 8

D 2

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Project Structure' row and match it with 'Team Size' in variable_tracker.

If the team size was 5, what project structure would be most appropriate based on execution_table?

A Add folders by domain

B Modules with subfolders and docs

C Flat folder with all models

D Strict modular structure with tests

💡 Hint

Refer to execution_table step 2 for team size 3-5.

Concept Snapshot

Why project structure scales with team size:
- Small teams use flat structures
- Growing teams add domain folders
- Larger teams use modules with docs
- Very large teams need strict modularity
- Structure helps reduce conflicts and improve collaboration

Full Transcript

When a team is small, a simple flat project structure works well because few people work on the same files. As the team grows, more people work on different parts, so the project is divided into folders by domain to reduce conflicts. When the team grows larger, modules with documentation and tests are added to help teams specialize and collaborate better. For very large teams, a strict modular structure is necessary to keep the project maintainable and clear. This evolution of project structure matches the team size to keep work efficient and organized.

Practice

1. Why is having a clear project structure important when the dbt team grows larger?

easy

A. It helps keep work organized and reduces confusion among team members.

B. It makes the project run faster on the computer.

C. It allows the team to use more complex SQL queries.

D. It automatically fixes errors in the data models.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand team collaboration needs

   As team size increases, many people work on the same project, so organization is key to avoid confusion.

2. Step 2: Recognize the role of project structure

   A clear structure helps separate work, making it easier to manage and understand for everyone.

3. Final Answer:

   It helps keep work organized and reduces confusion among team members. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Clear structure = organized teamwork [OK]

Hint: Think about teamwork and avoiding confusion [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing project speed with team organization
• Assuming structure fixes errors automatically
• Believing complexity equals better structure

2. Which of the following is the correct way to organize models in a dbt project for a growing team?

easy

A. Separate models into folders by their purpose or domain.

B. Use random folder names to avoid conflicts.

C. Write all models in a single SQL file.

D. Put all models in one folder to keep things simple.

Solution

1. Step 1: Review folder organization best practices

   Separating models by purpose or domain helps teams work independently without conflicts.

2. Step 2: Evaluate options

   Keeping all models in one place or random names causes confusion and conflicts.

3. Final Answer:

   Separate models into folders by their purpose or domain. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Folder by purpose = less conflict [OK]

Hint: Group models by what they do, not all together [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking one folder is simpler for many people
• Ignoring the importance of clear naming
• Believing random names help avoid conflicts

3. Given this dbt project structure:

models/
  staging/
    customers.sql
    orders.sql
  marts/
    sales.sql
    finance.sql

What is the main benefit of this structure for a team?

medium

A. It forces everyone to edit the same files to avoid duplication.

B. It hides the staging models from the team.

C. It makes the project run faster by splitting files.

D. It allows team members to work on staging and marts independently.

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze folder roles

   Staging folder holds raw data models; marts folder holds business logic models.

2. Step 2: Understand team workflow

   Separating these allows different team members to work on different layers without interfering.

3. Final Answer:

   It allows team members to work on staging and marts independently. -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Separate folders = independent work [OK]

Hint: Think about who edits which folder [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming splitting files speeds up project execution
• Believing all team members must edit same files
• Thinking staging models are hidden

4. A dbt team notices frequent merge conflicts because everyone edits models in the same folder. What is the best fix?

medium

A. Delete unused models to reduce files.

B. Ask everyone to edit only one model file.

C. Move models into separate folders by feature or domain.

D. Use random file names to confuse conflicts.

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify cause of conflicts

   Editing many models in one folder causes overlapping work and merge conflicts.

2. Step 2: Apply project structure best practice

   Separating models by feature or domain reduces overlap and conflicts.

3. Final Answer:

   Move models into separate folders by feature or domain. -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Separate folders reduce conflicts [OK]

Hint: Separate work areas to avoid editing clashes [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking deleting files solves conflicts
• Believing random names help avoid conflicts
• Assuming one file for all is better

5. Your dbt team has grown to 10 members working on different business areas. How should you organize the project structure to scale efficiently?

hard

A. Keep all models in one folder but use prefixes in file names.

B. Create separate folders for each business area and assign team members accordingly.

C. Let each member create their own folder with no naming rules.

D. Merge all models into a single large SQL file to simplify.

Solution

1. Step 1: Consider team size and work areas

   With many members, organizing by business area reduces overlap and confusion.

2. Step 2: Evaluate options for scalability

   Separate folders with clear ownership help manage changes and onboarding.

3. Step 3: Avoid poor practices

   Single folder or random folders cause conflicts; one big file is unmanageable.

4. Final Answer:

   Create separate folders for each business area and assign team members accordingly. -> Option B

5. Quick Check:

   Folder per area = scalable teamwork [OK]

Hint: Group by business area for clear ownership [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using one folder with prefixes causes conflicts
• Random folders confuse team members
• One big file is hard to maintain