Team Composition Analysis

1---
2name: team-composition-analysis
3description: This skill should be used when the user asks to "plan team
4  structure", "determine hiring needs", "design org chart", "calculate
5  compensation", "plan equity allocation", or requests organizational design and
6  headcount planning for a startup.
7metadata:
8  version: 1.0.0
9---
10 
11# Team Composition Analysis
12 
13Design optimal team structures, hiring plans, compensation strategies, and equity allocation for early-stage startups from pre-seed through Series A.
14 
15## Use this skill when
16 
17- Working on team composition analysis tasks or workflows
18- Needing guidance, best practices, or checklists for team composition analysis
19 
20## Do not use this skill when
21 
22- The task is unrelated to team composition analysis
23- You need a different domain or tool outside this scope
24 
25## Instructions
26 
27- Clarify goals, constraints, and required inputs.
28- Apply relevant best practices and validate outcomes.
29- Provide actionable steps and verification.
30- If detailed examples are required, open `resources/implementation-playbook.md`.
31 
32## Overview
33 
34Build 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.
35 
36## Team Structure by Stage
37 
38### Pre-Seed (0-$500K ARR)
39 
40**Team Size: 2-5 people**
41 
42**Core Roles:**
43- Founders (2-3): Product, engineering, business
44- First engineer (if needed)
45- Contract roles: Design, marketing
46 
47**Focus:** Build and validate product-market fit
48 
49### Seed ($500K-$2M ARR)
50 
51**Team Size: 5-15 people**
52 
53**Key Hires:**
54- Engineering lead + 2-3 engineers
55- First sales/business development
56- Product manager
57- Marketing/growth lead
58 
59**Focus:** Scale product and prove repeatable sales
60 
61### Series A ($2M-$10M ARR)
62 
63**Team Size: 15-50 people**
64 
65**Department Build-Out:**
66- Engineering (40%): 6-20 people
67- Sales & Marketing (30%): 5-15 people
68- Customer Success (10%): 2-5 people
69- G&A (10%): 2-5 people
70- Product (10%): 2-5 people
71 
72**Focus:** Scale revenue and build repeatable processes
73 
74## Role-by-Role Planning
75 
76### Engineering Team
77 
78**Pre-Seed:**
79- Founders write code
80- 0-1 contract developers
81 
82**Seed:**
83- Engineering Lead (first $150K-$180K)
84- 2-3 Full-Stack Engineers ($120K-$150K)
85- 1 Frontend or Backend Specialist ($130K-$160K)
86 
87**Series A:**
88- VP Engineering ($180K-$250K + equity)
89- 2-3 Senior Engineers ($150K-$180K)
90- 3-5 Mid-Level Engineers ($120K-$150K)
91- 1-2 Junior Engineers ($90K-$120K)
92- 1 DevOps/Infrastructure ($140K-$170K)
93 
94### Sales & Marketing
95 
96**Pre-Seed:**
97- Founders do sales
98- Contract marketing help
99 
100**Seed:**
101- First Sales Hire / Head of Sales ($120K-$150K + commission)
102- Marketing/Growth Lead ($100K-$140K)
103- SDR or BDR (if B2B) ($50K-$70K + commission)
104 
105**Series A:**
106- VP Sales ($150K-$200K + commission + equity)
107- 3-5 Account Executives ($80K-$120K + commission)
108- 2-3 SDRs/BDRs ($50K-$70K + commission)
109- Marketing Manager ($90K-$130K)
110- Content/Demand Gen ($70K-$100K)
111 
112### Product Team
113 
114**Pre-Seed:**
115- Founder as product lead
116 
117**Seed:**
118- First Product Manager ($120K-$150K)
119- Contract designer
120 
121**Series A:**
122- Head of Product ($150K-$180K)
123- 1-2 Product Managers ($120K-$150K)
124- Product Designer ($100K-$140K)
125- UX Researcher (optional) ($90K-$130K)
126 
127### Customer Success
128 
129**Pre-Seed:**
130- Founders handle support
131 
132**Seed:**
133- First CS hire (optional) ($60K-$90K)
134 
135**Series A:**
136- CS Manager ($100K-$130K)
137- 2-4 CS Representatives ($60K-$90K)
138- Support Engineer (technical) ($80K-$120K)
139 
140### G&A (General & Administrative)
141 
142**Pre-Seed:**
143- Contractors (accounting, legal)
144 
145**Seed:**
146- Operations/Office Manager ($70K-$100K)
147- Contract CFO
148 
149**Series A:**
150- CFO or Finance Lead ($150K-$200K)
151- Recruiter ($80K-$120K)
152- Office Manager / EA ($60K-$90K)
153 
154## Compensation Strategy
155 
156### Base Salary Benchmarks (US, 2024)
157 
158**Engineering:**
159- Junior: $90K-$120K
160- Mid-Level: $120K-$150K
161- Senior: $150K-$180K
162- Staff/Principal: $180K-$220K
163- Engineering Manager: $160K-$200K
164- VP Engineering: $180K-$250K
165 
166**Sales:**
167- SDR/BDR: $50K-$70K base + $50K-$70K commission
168- Account Executive: $80K-$120K base + $80K-$120K commission
169- Sales Manager: $120K-$160K base + $80K-$120K commission
170- VP Sales: $150K-$200K base + $150K-$200K commission
171 
172**Product:**
173- Product Manager: $120K-$150K
174- Senior PM: $150K-$180K
175- Head of Product: $150K-$180K
176- VP Product: $180K-$220K
177 
178**Marketing:**
179- Marketing Manager: $90K-$130K
180- Content/Demand Gen: $70K-$100K
181- Head of Marketing: $130K-$170K
182- VP Marketing: $150K-$200K
183 
184**Customer Success:**
185- CS Representative: $60K-$90K
186- CS Manager: $100K-$130K
187- VP Customer Success: $140K-$180K
188 
189### Total Compensation Formula
190 
191```
192Total Comp = Base Salary × 1.30 (benefits & taxes) + Equity Value
193```
194 
195**Fully-Loaded Cost:**
196- Base salary
197- Payroll taxes (7.65% FICA)
198- Benefits (health insurance, 401k): $10K-$15K per employee
199- Other (workspace, equipment, software): $5K-$10K per employee
200 
201**Rule of Thumb:** Multiply base salary by 1.3-1.4 for fully-loaded cost
202 
203### Geographic Adjustments
204 
205**San Francisco / New York:** +20-30% above benchmarks
206**Seattle / Boston / Los Angeles:** +10-20%
207**Austin / Denver / Chicago:** +0-10%
208**Remote / Other US Cities:** -10-20%
209**International:** Varies widely by country
210 
211## Equity Allocation
212 
213### Equity by Role and Stage
214 
215**Founders:**
216- First founder: 40-60%
217- Second founder: 20-40%
218- Third founder: 10-20%
219- Vesting: 4 years with 1-year cliff
220 
221**Early Employees (Pre-Seed):**
222- First engineer: 0.5-2.0%
223- First 5 employees: 0.25-1.0% each
224 
225**Seed Stage Hires:**
226- VP/Head level: 0.5-1.5%
227- Senior IC: 0.1-0.5%
228- Mid-level: 0.05-0.25%
229- Junior: 0.01-0.1%
230 
231**Series A Hires:**
232- C-level (CTO, CFO): 1.0-3.0%
233- VP level: 0.3-1.0%
234- Director level: 0.1-0.5%
235- Senior IC: 0.05-0.2%
236- Mid-level: 0.01-0.1%
237- Junior: 0.005-0.05%
238 
239### Equity Pool Sizing
240 
241**Option Pool by Round:**
242- Pre-Seed: 10-15% reserved
243- Seed: 10-15% top-up
244- Series A: 10-15% top-up
245- Series B+: 5-10% per round
246 
247**Pre-Funding Dilution:**
248Investors often require option pool creation before investment, diluting founders.
249 
250**Example:**
251```
252Pre-money: $10M
253Investors want 15% option pool post-money
254 
255Calculation:
256Post-money: $15M ($10M + $5M investment)
257Option pool: $2.25M (15% × $15M)
258Founders diluted by pool creation before new money
259```
260 
261## Organizational Design
262 
263### Reporting Structure
264 
265**Pre-Seed:**
266```
267Founders (flat structure)
268├── Contractors
269└── First hires (report to founders)
270```
271 
272**Seed:**
273```
274CEO
275├── Engineering Lead (2-4 engineers)
276├── Sales/Growth Lead (1-2 reps)
277├── Product Manager
278└── Operations
279```
280 
281**Series A:**
282```
283CEO
284├── CTO / VP Engineering (6-20 people)
285│   ├── Engineering Manager(s)
286│   └── Individual Contributors
287├── VP Sales (5-15 people)
288│   ├── Sales Manager
289│   ├── Account Executives
290│   └── SDRs
291├── Head of Product (2-5 people)
292│   ├── Product Managers
293│   └── Designers
294├── Head of Customer Success (2-5 people)
295└── CFO / Finance Lead (2-5 people)
296    ├── Recruiter
297    └── Operations
298```
299 
300### Span of Control
301 
302**Manager Ratios:**
303- First-line managers: 4-8 direct reports
304- Directors: 3-5 direct reports (managers)
305- VPs: 3-5 direct reports (directors)
306- CEO: 5-8 direct reports (executive team)
307 
308## Full-Time vs. Contract
309 
310### Use Full-Time for:
311- Core product development
312- Sales (revenue-generating roles)
313- Mission-critical operations
314- Institutional knowledge roles
315 
316### Use Contractors for:
317- Specialized short-term needs (legal, accounting)
318- Variable workload (design, marketing campaigns)
319- Skills outside core competency
320- Testing role before FTE hire
321- Geographic expansion before permanent presence
322 
323### Cost Comparison
324 
325**Full-Time:**
326- Lower hourly cost
327- Benefits and overhead
328- Long-term commitment
329- Cultural fit matters
330 
331**Contract:**
332- Higher hourly rate ($75-$200/hour vs. $40-$100/hour FTE equivalent)
333- No benefits or overhead
334- Flexible engagement
335- Easier to scale up/down
336 
337## Hiring Velocity
338 
339### Realistic Timeline
340 
341**Role Opening to Hire:**
342- Junior: 6-8 weeks
343- Mid-Level: 8-12 weeks
344- Senior: 12-16 weeks
345- Executive: 16-24 weeks
346 
347**Time to Productivity:**
348- Junior: 4-6 months
349- Mid-Level: 2-4 months
350- Senior: 1-3 months
351- Executive: 3-6 months
352 
353### Planning Buffer
354 
355Always add 2-3 months buffer to hiring plans.
356 
357**Example:**
358If need engineer by July 1:
359- Start recruiting: April 1 (12 weeks)
360- Productivity: September 1 (2 months ramp)
361 
362## Budget Planning
363 
364### Compensation as % of Revenue
365 
366**Early Stage (Seed):**
367- Total comp: 120-150% of revenue (burning cash to grow)
368- Engineering: 50-60%
369- Sales: 30-40%
370- Other: 20-30%
371 
372**Growth Stage (Series A):**
373- Total comp: 70-100% of revenue
374- Engineering: 35-45%
375- Sales: 25-35%
376- Other: 20-30%
377 
378### Headcount Budget Formula
379 
380```
381Total Comp Budget = Σ (Role Count × Fully-Loaded Cost × % of Year)
382 
383Example:
3843 Engineers × $202K × 100% = $606K
3852 AEs × $230K × 75% (mid-year start) = $345K
3861 PM × $162K × 100% = $162K
387Total: $1.1M
388```
389 
390## Additional Resources
391 
392### Reference Files
393- **`references/compensation-benchmarks.md`** - Detailed salary data by role, level, and location
394- **`references/equity-calculator.md`** - Equity sizing formulas and dilution scenarios
395 
396### Example Files
397- **`examples/seed-stage-hiring-plan.md`** - Complete hiring plan for seed-stage SaaS company
398- **`examples/org-chart-evolution.md`** - Organizational design from 5 to 50 people
399 
400## Quick Start
401 
402To plan team composition:
403 
4041. **Identify stage** - Pre-seed, seed, or Series A
4052. **Define roles** - What functions are needed now
4063. **Prioritize hires** - Critical path for business goals
4074. **Set compensation** - Base salary + equity by level
4085. **Plan timeline** - Account for recruiting and ramp time
4096. **Calculate budget** - Fully-loaded cost × headcount
4107. **Design org chart** - Reporting structure and span of control
4118. **Allocate equity** - Fair allocation that preserves pool
412 
413For detailed compensation benchmarks and hiring plan templates, see `references/` and `examples/`.
414