PaperclipOrg
Claude Agent Skill · by Wshobson

Team Composition Analysis

If you're building a startup and staring at spreadsheets trying to figure out when to hire your first product manager or how much equity to offer that senior en

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Terminal · npx
$npx skills add https://github.com/wshobson/agents --skill team-composition-analysis
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How Team Composition Analysis fits into a Paperclip company.

Team Composition Analysis drops into any Paperclip agent that handles this kind of work. Assign it to a specialist inside a pre-configured PaperclipOrg company and the skill becomes available on every heartbeat — no prompt engineering, no tool wiring.

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Pre-configured AI company — 18 agents, 18 skills, one-time purchase.

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SKILL.md424 lines
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---name: team-composition-analysisdescription: 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 building a hiring budget aligned to funding milestones.version: 1.0.0--- # 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 ## 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 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:** ```Pre-money: $10MInvestors want 15% option pool post-money Calculation:Post-money: $15M ($10M + $5M investment)Option pool: $2.25M (15% × $15M)Founders diluted by pool creation before new money``` ## Organizational Design ### Reporting Structure **Pre-Seed:** ```Founders (flat structure)├── Contractors└── First hires (report to founders)``` **Seed:** ```CEO├── Engineering Lead (2-4 engineers)├── Sales/Growth Lead (1-2 reps)├── Product Manager└── Operations``` **Series A:** ```CEO├── CTO / VP Engineering (6-20 people)│   ├── Engineering Manager(s)│   └── Individual Contributors├── VP Sales (5-15 people)│   ├── Sales Manager│   ├── Account Executives│   └── SDRs├── Head of Product (2-5 people)│   ├── Product Managers│   └── Designers├── Head of Customer Success (2-5 people)└── CFO / Finance Lead (2-5 people)    ├── Recruiter    └── Operations``` ### 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 ```Total Comp Budget = Σ (Role Count × Fully-Loaded Cost × % of Year) Example:3 Engineers × $202K × 100% = $606K2 AEs × $230K × 75% (mid-year start) = $345K1 PM × $162K × 100% = $162KTotal: $1.1M```  ## Quick Start To plan team composition: 1. **Identify stage** - Pre-seed, seed, or Series A2. **Define roles** - What functions are needed now3. **Prioritize hires** - Critical path for business goals4. **Set compensation** - Base salary + equity by level5. **Plan timeline** - Account for recruiting and ramp time6. **Calculate budget** - Fully-loaded cost × headcount7. **Design org chart** - Reporting structure and span of control8. **Allocate equity** - Fair allocation that preserves pool