team-composition-analysis

# 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)