Absolutely agreed that higher head count should not be a goal; less is more. But it's still a good second question to ask because: 1. It gives a sense of what

Absolutely agreed that higher head count should not be a goal; less is more. But it's still a good second question to ask because: 1. It gives a sense of what stage the company is at. E.g. a 50-person company should be well past finding product-market fit. Also, if the asker is considering employment, it gives a sense of how much influence he/she will have. 2. It's more likely to be answered than questions like revenue, gross/net profits, or revenue/profits per employee.