At Atomic, Delivery Leads play a crucial role in ensuring project success. The Delivery Lead position emerged about 10 years ago after extensive experimentation and refinement to address gaps in project coordination, as discussed by our Delivery Practice Lead, Brittany Hunter, in this blog post. Now, Atomic has 13 Delivery Leads across four offices. Through formal surveys and word of mouth, our clients report recognizing the value and benefits of having an Atomic Delivery Lead on their project teams. However, occasionally, during the sales process, we hear from a potential client who thinks reallocating those funds to development will yield better results. Skipping a Delivery Lead isn’t just a cost-saving decision; it’s a strategic trade-off.
Without one, teams must ensure they have the right structure, clear communication, and internal coordination to prevent inefficiencies, misalignment, and delays. This post explores when this trade-off might work — and when it can backfire.
The Trade-Off: Money for Time
Opting out of having a dedicated Delivery Lead is essentially a trade-off between cost savings and the time required to manage project logistics and team morale. If clients choose to proceed without an Atomic delivery lead, they must be take on critical responsibilities, including team support. Projects that stand a better chance of succeeding without a dedicated Atomic Delivery Lead typically have the following characteristics:
- A Dedicated Product Owner – Someone fully committed to guiding the team and making timely decisions.
- Clearly Defined Desired Outcomes – Goals are explicitly stated and understood by stakeholders and the project team.
- Identified Project Scope – A clearly defined and agreed-upon project vision.
- Defined Milestones and Key Dates – A structured timeline keeps development on track.
- (For User-Facing Products) User Research—Research occurs regularly, is synthesized, and shared with the team. UI/UX designs are either finalized or progressing under client ownership.
- Clear, Timely Communication – Stakeholders communicate efficiently and provide necessary context.
- One Clear Voice Setting Direction – A single client-side decision-maker guides the development team.
- Stakeholder Involvement in Daily Management – Active participation in coordinating development efforts.
- Established Project Management & Communication Tools – The right tools are in place to ensure visibility into project progress, facilitate collaboration, and enable efficient tracking of tasks and dependencies.
What Happens When a Delivery Lead Is Absent?
When these critical elements are missing, the absence of a Delivery Lead can create significant challenges. The responsibilities of delivery leadership do not disappear simply because a client chooses not to fill the role—someone on the team must still manage coordination, communication, and project oversight. Without a dedicated Delivery Lead, these responsibilities often fall on already overburdened team members, leading to inefficiencies and delays. Some of the most common challenges include:
- Team Members Filling the Void. Often, a technical lead or designer steps in to manage delivery responsibilities, reducing their effectiveness in their primary role. This shift contradicts the initial cost-saving intention. That’s because the Technical Lead spends more time on logistics and less on coding, architecture, and unblocking the development team. You can read about the challenges that my colleague Nick Hazekamp experienced as a Technical Lead on a project without a Delivery Lead in this blog post.
- Rework, Miscommunication, and Low Team Morale. Without a structured delivery function, miscommunication increases, leading to unnecessary rework and frustration. Team members may struggle with misaligned priorities and shifting deadlines, ultimately causing disengagement and lowering morale.
A good example of this is something I overheard recently: Developers were discussing a feature they had to rework three times due to conflicting requirements from multiple stakeholders. Without a dedicated Delivery Lead, the responsibility fell on the developers to untangle and interpret feedback on their own. While occasional ambiguity is part of any project, repeated instances like this can drain team energy and engagement. The lack of a structured communication process led to frustration, unnecessary work, and lower morale. These challenges could have been mitigated with a Delivery Lead facilitating alignment and decision-making.
Final Thoughts
A Delivery Lead provides more than just process oversight. They safeguard against misalignment, inefficiencies, and communication breakdowns that can derail a project. When teams operate without a Delivery Lead, someone must still manage coordination, risk mitigation, and stakeholder communication. In many cases, that responsibility falls to individuals whose primary roles should focus on development or design, leading to decreased efficiency and increased frustration.
While some projects can succeed without a Delivery Lead—especially those with a highly engaged and structured client team — many struggle when gaps in project coordination and communication arise. The hidden costs of rework missed deadlines, and decreased team morale can quickly outweigh the perceived financial savings.
Ultimately, skipping a Delivery Lead is not just a budgeting decision; it’s a strategic trade-off that requires careful consideration. Teams must ensure they have the right structure, accountability, and processes in place to mitigate the risks. Otherwise, what seems like a cost-saving measure can end up costing more in the long run.
While some projects can succeed without one, the risks increase when essential project management elements are missing. Hopefully, understanding these trade-offs can help our clients make informed decisions about how to staff and support their teams effectively.