This skill should be used when the user asks to "plan team structure", "determine hiring needs", "design org chart", "calculate compensation", "plan equity allocation", or requests organizational design and headcount planning for a startup.
name team-composition-analysis description This skill should be used when the user asks to "plan team structure", "determine hiring needs", "design org chart", "calculate compensation", "plan equity allocation", or requests organizational design and headcount planning for a startup. version 1.0.0 Team Composition Analysis Design optimal team structures, hiring plans, compensation strategies, and equity allocation for early-stage startups from pre-seed through Series A. Overview Build the right team at the right time with appropriate compensation and equity. Plan role-by-role hiring aligned with revenue milestones, budget constraints, and market benchmarks. Team Structure by Stage Pre-Seed (0-$500K ARR) Team Size: 2-5 people Core Roles: Founders (2-3): Product, engineering, business First engineer (if needed) Contract roles: Design, marketing Focus: Build and validate product-market fit Seed ($500K-$2M ARR) Team Size: 5-15 people Key Hires: Engineering lead + 2-3 engineers First sales/business development Product manager Marketing/growth lead Focus: Scale product and prove repeatable sales Series A ($2M-$10M ARR) Team Size: 15-50 people Department Build-Out: Engineering (40%): 6-20 people Sales & Marketing (30%): 5-15 people Customer Success (10%): 2-5 people G&A (10%): 2-5 people Product (10%): 2-5 people Focus: Scale revenue and build repeatable processes Role-by-Role Planning Engineering Team Pre-Seed: Founders write code 0-1 contract developers Seed: Engineering Lead (first $150K-$180K) 2-3 Full-Stack Engineers ($120K-$150K) 1 Frontend or Backend Specialist ($130K-$160K) Series A: VP Engineering ($180K-$250K + equity) 2-3 Senior Engineers ($150K-$180K) 3-5 Mid-Level Engineers ($120K-$150K) 1-2 Junior Engineers ($90K-$120K) 1 DevOps/Infrastructure ($140K-$170K) Sales & Marketing Pre-Seed: Founders do sales Contract marketing help Seed: First Sales Hire / Head of Sales ($120K-$150K + commission) Marketing/Growth Lead ($100K-$140K) SDR or BDR (if B2B) ($50K-$70K + commission) Series A: VP Sales ($150K-$200K + commission + equity) 3-5 Account Executives ($80K-$120K + commission) 2-3 SDRs/BDRs ($50K-$70K + commission) Marketing Manager ($90K-$130K) Content/Demand Gen ($70K-$100K) Product Team Pre-Seed: Founder as product lead Seed: First Product Manager ($120K-$150K) Contract designer Series A: Head of Product ($150K-$180K) 1-2 Product Managers ($120K-$150K) Product Designer ($100K-$140K) UX Researcher (optional) ($90K-$130K) Customer Success Pre-Seed: Founders handle support Seed: First CS hire (optional) ($60K-$90K) Series A: CS Manager ($100K-$130K) 2-4 CS Representatives ($60K-$90K) Support Engineer (technical) ($80K-$120K) G&A (General & Administrative) Pre-Seed: Contractors (accounting, legal) Seed: Operations/Office Manager ($70K-$100K) Contract CFO Series A: CFO or Finance Lead ($150K-$200K) Recruiter ($80K-$120K) Office Manager / EA ($60K-$90K) Compensation Strategy Base Salary Benchmarks (US, 2024) Engineering: Junior: $90K-$120K Mid-Level: $120K-$150K Senior: $150K-$180K Staff/Principal: $180K-$220K Engineering Manager: $160K-$200K VP Engineering: $180K-$250K Sales: SDR/BDR: $50K-$70K base + $50K-$70K commission Account Executive: $80K-$120K base + $80K-$120K commission Sales Manager: $120K-$160K base + $80K-$120K commission VP Sales: $150K-$200K base + $150K-$200K commission Product: Product Manager: $120K-$150K Senior PM: $150K-$180K Head of Product: $150K-$180K VP Product: $180K-$220K Marketing: Marketing Manager: $90K-$130K Content/Demand Gen: $70K-$100K Head of Marketing: $130K-$170K VP Marketing: $150K-$200K Customer Success: CS Representative: $60K-$90K CS Manager: $100K-$130K VP Customer Success: $140K-$180K Total Compensation Formula Total Comp = Base Salary × 1.30 (benefits & taxes) + Equity Value Fully-Loaded Cost: Base salary Payroll taxes (7.65% FICA) Benefits (health insurance, 401k): $10K-$15K per employee Other (workspace, equipment, software): $5K-$10K per employee Rule of Thumb: Multiply base salary by 1.3-1.4 for fully-loaded cost Geographic Adjustments San Francisco / New York: +20-30% above benchmarks Seattle / Boston / Los Angeles: +10-20% Austin / Denver / Chicago: +0-10% Remote / Other US Cities: -10-20% International: Varies widely by country Equity Allocation Equity by Role and Stage Founders: First founder: 40-60% Second founder: 20-40% Third founder: 10-20% Vesting: 4 years with 1-year cliff Early Employees (Pre-Seed): First engineer: 0.5-2.0% First 5 employees: 0.25-1.0% each Seed Stage Hires: VP/Head level: 0.5-1.5% Senior IC: 0.1-0.5% Mid-level: 0.05-0.25% Junior: 0.01-0.1% Series A Hires: C-level (CTO, CFO): 1.0-3.0% VP level: 0.3-1.0% Director level: 0.1-0.5% Senior IC: 0.05-0.2% Mid-level: 0.01-0.1% Junior: 0.005-0.05% Equity Pool Sizing Option Pool by Round: Pre-Seed: 10-15% reserved Seed: 10-15% top-up Series A: 10-15% top-up Series B+: 5-10% per round Pre-Funding Dilution: Investors often require option pool creation before investment, diluting founders. Example: Pre-money: $10M Investors want 15% option pool post-money
Calculation: Post-money: $15M ($10M + $5M investment) Option pool: $2.25M (15% × $15M) Founders diluted by pool creation before new money Organizational Design Reporting Structure Pre-Seed: Founders (flat structure) ├── Contractors └── First hires (report to founders) Seed: CEO ├── Engineering Lead (2-4 engineers) ├── Sales/Growth Lead (1-2 reps) ├── Product Manager └── Operations Series A: CEO ├── CTO / VP Engineering (6-20 people) │ ├── Engineering Manager(s) │ └── Individual Contributors ├── VP Sales (5-15 people) │ ├── Sales Manager │ ├── Account Executives │ └── SDRs ├── Head of Product (2-5 people) │ ├── Product Managers │ └── Designers ├── Head of Customer Success (2-5 people) └── CFO / Finance Lead (2-5 people) ├── Recruiter └── Operations Span of Control Manager Ratios: First-line managers: 4-8 direct reports Directors: 3-5 direct reports (managers) VPs: 3-5 direct reports (directors) CEO: 5-8 direct reports (executive team) Full-Time vs. Contract Use Full-Time for: Core product development Sales (revenue-generating roles) Mission-critical operations Institutional knowledge roles Use Contractors for: Specialized short-term needs (legal, accounting) Variable workload (design, marketing campaigns) Skills outside core competency Testing role before FTE hire Geographic expansion before permanent presence Cost Comparison Full-Time: Lower hourly cost Benefits and overhead Long-term commitment Cultural fit matters Contract: Higher hourly rate ($75-$200/hour vs. $40-$100/hour FTE equivalent) No benefits or overhead Flexible engagement Easier to scale up/down Hiring Velocity Realistic Timeline Role Opening to Hire: Junior: 6-8 weeks Mid-Level: 8-12 weeks Senior: 12-16 weeks Executive: 16-24 weeks Time to Productivity: Junior: 4-6 months Mid-Level: 2-4 months Senior: 1-3 months Executive: 3-6 months Planning Buffer Always add 2-3 months buffer to hiring plans. Example: If need engineer by July 1: Start recruiting: April 1 (12 weeks) Productivity: September 1 (2 months ramp) Budget Planning Compensation as % of Revenue Early Stage (Seed): Total comp: 120-150% of revenue (burning cash to grow) Engineering: 50-60% Sales: 30-40% Other: 20-30% Growth Stage (Series A): Total comp: 70-100% of revenue Engineering: 35-45% Sales: 25-35% Other: 20-30% Headcount Budget Formula Total Comp Budget = Σ (Role Count × Fully-Loaded Cost × % of Year)
Example: 3 Engineers × $202K × 100% = $606K 2 AEs × $230K × 75% (mid-year start) = $345K 1 PM × $162K × 100% = $162K Total: $1.1M Quick Start To plan team composition: Identify stage