In The Graphing Calculator Story, the author explains how a useful software utility for the Macintosh PowerPC was developed (almost) entirely by stealth:
I view the events as an experiment in subverting power structures. I had none of the traditional power over others that is inherent to the structure of corporations and bureaucracies. I had neither budget nor headcount. I answered to no one, and no one had to do anything I asked. Dozens of people collaborated spontaneously, motivated by loyalty, friendship, or the love of craftsmanship. We were hackers, creating something for the sheer joy of making it work.
It illustrates that traditional corporate heirarchies aren’t always necessarily the best way to leverage resources.