team-composition-analysis

name team-composition-analysis description Design optimal team structures, hiring plans, compensation strategies, and equity allocation for early-stage startups from pre-seed through Series A. Use this skill when planning headcount, determining which roles to hire next, setting compensation or equity ranges, designing org structure, or building a hiring budget aligned to funding milestones. 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 Detailed section: Role-by-Role Planning Originally a 1720-byte section in this SKILL.md. Moved to references/details.md to fit Codex's 8 KB skill body cap. 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 - Pre-seed, seed, or Series A Define roles - What functions are needed now Prioritize hires - Critical path for business goals Set compensation - Base salary + equity by level Plan timeline - Account for recruiting and ramp time Calculate budget - Fully-loaded cost × headcount Design org chart - Reporting structure and span of control Allocate equity - Fair allocation that preserves pool