scalability
skay-luh-BIL-ih-tee
/ˌskeɪləˈbɪlɪti/
The capacity of a business or system to grow and handle increased demand without being hampered by its structure or resources.
Scalability is the holy grail of modern startups; it means you can sell 1,000,000 units almost as easily as you sold 10.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'scala', meaning 'ladder'. It evokes the image of climbing higher and higher without the ladder breaking.
Word relationships
- expandability: Expandability means you can add parts; scalability means the whole system works better as it gets bigger.
- growth potential: Growth potential is the chance to grow; scalability is the structural ability to do so.
- inflexibility: Inflexibility prevents a system from changing size or shape.
Commonly confused with
- growth: Growth is the increase in size; scalability is the capacity for that increase to happen smoothly.
Word family
- scale (verb): To increase in size or number.
- scalable (adjective): Able to be scaled.
Collocations
- ensure scalability
- limit scalability
- high scalability
- system scalability
Example sentences
- "The main challenge for the startup was scalability; they couldn't hire people fast enough to meet demand." Business Strategy
- "Cloud computing offers great scalability, allowing websites to handle sudden spikes in traffic." Computing
Memory hook
'Scale' + 'Ability'. The ability to change the scale. Climbing the ladder of growth.
When not to use
Don't use it for simple growth; it specifically refers to the ability to grow efficiently.
Fun facts
- Software is considered highly 'scalable' because copying a file costs almost nothing, whereas 'scaling' a restaurant is hard because you need a new building for every location.
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