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