Team Composition Analysis
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
- •Working on team composition analysis tasks or workflows
- •Needing guidance, best practices, or checklists for team composition analysis
Do not use this skill when
- •The task is unrelated to team composition analysis
- •You need a different domain or tool outside this scope
Instructions
- •Clarify goals, constraints, and required inputs.
- •Apply relevant best practices and validate outcomes.
- •Provide actionable steps and verification.
- •If detailed examples are required, open
resources/implementation-playbook.md.
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 f