they do scale. but in order to scale, the dev shop has to be willing to take on different sized projects. and in doing this, they evolve from a dev shop to a

they do scale. but in order to scale, the dev shop has to be willing to take on different sized projects. and in doing this, they evolve from a dev shop to a consulting firm. this is because, to be able to ensure everyone has work, turning down small-scale one-person types of jobs becomes more and more difficult. for example, the shop would be much more willing to send the java guy in on contract to fix issues or do some short-term work on an existing system if the alternative is just having him sit on his hands. if he sits on his hands for weeks while he waits for work, he's either not getting paid, or the company isn't getting paid for having him work for them, which is a net loss. and he's also probably surfing dice while he waits.