Startups scaling engineering
Moving from 3–5 to 10–20 engineers and need a structure that does not block velocity.
Teams & Scaling
Building Tech-Product Teams
A larger team does not automatically mean faster delivery. I help design the structure, roles and work rhythm that scales throughput — not just headcount.
✓Clear role structure and ownership without duplication
✓Hiring process that recruits for culture and velocity
✓Onboarding that shortens time-to-contribution
In short
A larger team does not automatically mean faster delivery. After a certain stage, a startup starts paying the tax of communication overhead, unclear ownership, weak onboarding and missing structural decisions. Building a team is not just hiring — it is designing a system that delivers consistently.
When team structure blocks growth
Symptoms that a growing team is paying the tax of chaotic structure:
- ⚠More people, lower velocity — every new engineer slows down the rest
- ⚠Unclear ownership — the same topic has multiple people "responsible"
- ⚠Onboarding takes 3 months before a new person is productive
- ⚠Senior engineers are bottlenecks in every technical decision
- ⚠Hiring takes too long or produces poor cultural fits
- ⚠Team leads do not know what they manage — no clear responsibility boundaries
Who this is for
CTOs and VP Engineering
You have growing structural debt: overlapping roles, unclear ownership, too many direct reports.
Founders preparing for a round
Investors will ask about the hiring plan, org structure and time to productivity. You want ready answers.
Portfolio companies post-round
The fund expects fast team scaling. You need a hiring strategy and onboarding system that works under pressure.
What it covers
- →Org design — team structure for current and planned growth stage
- →Role design — job descriptions, responsibility boundaries and seniority levels
- →Hiring strategy — sourcing, assessment, decision process and onboarding pipeline
- →Interview framework — questions and assessment criteria for tech and product roles
- →Onboarding playbook — 30/60/90 day plan with checklists
- →Work rhythm — sprints, standups, 1:1s, reviews — everything that maintains throughput
- →Team health metrics — how to measure the team's long-term delivery capability
How the work proceeds
- 01
Org audit
Review of current structure: roles, ownership, bottlenecks and communication overhead. Map of what does not scale.
- 02
Org design
Designing new structure for the planned growth stage. Clear responsibility boundaries and ownership for each role.
- 03
Hiring plan
Which roles do you need now, and which in 6 months? Sourcing strategy, interview process, assessment criteria.
- 04
Onboarding system
30/60/90 day playbook. Buddy system, ramp-up plan and productivity KPIs to verify contribution.
- 05
Rhythm and metrics
Implementation of work rhythm and team health metrics. Regular review — is the system working, what needs calibration.
What you receive
- ✓Org chart — current structure with gap analysis and proposed changes
- ✓Role descriptions — scope of responsibilities, seniority levels and expectations
- ✓Hiring plan — priority roles, sourcing channels, timeline
- ✓Interview framework — questions, assessment criteria and scoring for each role
- ✓Onboarding playbook — 30/60/90 day plan with checklists
- ✓Team health KPIs — metrics and review rhythm
Metrics we improve
Time-to-hire — from role opening to accepted offerTime-to-contribution — days until first merge/releaseRetention rate — % of people who stay after 12 monthsRamp-up time — days to full productivityTeam velocity — throughput relative to headcountManager span of control — direct reports per team lead
Frequently asked questions
Why does a larger team not ship faster?
Headcount growth increases communication overhead faster than throughput. Every new engineer requires context, onboarding and coordination. Without structure and clear ownership — you add resources to the bottleneck, not expand it.
When should I start thinking about org structure?
When you have 5+ engineers and misalignment starts — role overlap, unclear priorities, senior bottlenecks. Waiting until 15–20 people often means a painful restructuring during growth.
Do you help with recruiting?
Yes — in strategy, process and role definition. I can also participate in interviews as a technical assessor. I am not a headhunter — I do not source directly, but I build the system that sources effectively.
How quickly can good onboarding be built?
Basic 30/60/90 day playbook with checklists and a buddy system — 2 weeks. Full onboarding experience with ramp-up techniques and productivity KPIs — 4–6 weeks of implementation.
Do you advise on hiring specific roles (e.g. senior engineer, PM)?
Yes. I define role requirements, create a scorecard, participate in technical interviews and help with the hire/no-hire decision based on data, not "gut feel".
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