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 build

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 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: Organizational Design Reporting Structure Pre Seed: Seed: Series A: 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 Quick Start To plan team composition: 1. Identify stage Pre seed, seed, or Series A 2. Define roles What functions are needed now 3. Prioritize hires Critical path for business goals 4. Set compensation Base salary + equity by level 5. Plan timeline Account for recruiting and ramp time 6. Calculate budget Fully loaded cost × headcount 7. Design org chart Reporting structure and span of control 8. Allocate equity Fair allocation that preserves pool

team-composition-analysis