If that were true, startups would never succeed, because established companies would use their greater resources and market power to gobble up market niches before startups could get momentum. In practice, everybody here knows that's not true.

I think the true way to optimal resource usage is not through ever-increasing process and managerial layering. Instead, it's through tight feedback loops where small cross-functional teams iterate closely with the people they're serving. Which is exactly how most good startups work. If you were really right about pursuing a financial optimum, the first thing (very resource-constrained) startups would do is get a copy of JIRA and hire some middle managers to carefully parcel out the work against precisely designed specs and timelines. That they don't should tell you something.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Managerialism, and also see https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A76WZ96/