sickn33 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