Startup Team

12-Month Lean Hiring Roadmap Q1 (Months 1–3): Lay the Revenue-Driving Foundation Business Development Manager (BDM) – 1 Full-Time Hire Focus: Open new client opportunities, forge strategic partnerships, and spearhead outreach. Impact: This role is critical to quickly generating revenue and building a robust client pipeline. AI Consultant / Domain Expert – 2 Full-Time or Contract Positions Focus: Deliver top-tier AI insights and consultancy services to clients. Impact: Their expertise ensures quality project delivery while maintaining a lean team structure. Note: Starting as contract roles helps manage cash flow until sustainable revenue levels are reached. Outsource Marketing & Administrative Functions Focus: Leverage freelance digital marketing experts and administrative contractors for content creation, lead generation, and social media management. Impact: This approach minimizes fixed overheads while building brand presence and supporting revenue growth. Q2 (Months 4–6): Build Out the Support Structure & Launch Event Initiatives Sales Specialist (Part-Time or Contract) – 1 Hire Focus: Support the BDM in handling daily sales outreach, qualifying leads, and following up on inbound interest. Impact: Bolsters your sales capacity as new client inquiries increase. Marketing Specialist – 1 Hire (or Transition from Contractor) Focus: Manage in-house digital campaigns, content strategy, and overall brand messaging. Impact: Enhances the agility and tailorability of marketing efforts to drive lead conversion. Event Hosting Specialist / Coordinator – Part-Time or Contract Focus: Plan, organize, and host online (webinars, virtual panels) and in-person events (networking sessions, industry meetups). Impact: Creates a recurring lead-generation engine and establishes your firm as a thought leader. Q3 (Months 7–9): Enhance Client Delivery, Product Testing, & Operations Project Manager / Customer Success Manager – 1 Full-Time Hire Focus: Oversee smooth client engagement, ensure timely project delivery, and drive upsell opportunities. Impact: Stabilizes client relationships and manages increasing project complexity. Additional AI Consultant – 1 Hire (Contingent) Focus: Expand consulting capacity as client demand grows. Impact: Supports quality service delivery without overextending the initial team. Sports Trader Tester – 1–2 Contract or Part-Time Positions Focus: Simulate trading scenarios using athletic performance data. Stress-test algorithms and evaluate model accuracy. Collaborate with the product team to refine sports trading functionality. Impact: Validates the sports trading features of your platform and strengthens market credibility for sports-related investment products. App Testers for Simulators – 1–2 Contract or Part-Time Positions Focus: Test simulators designed for both the sports trading and wealth management experiences. Evaluate user interface, data accuracy, system performance, and overall usability. Provide detailed feedback on bugs, feature enhancements, and user experience improvements. Impact: This role is critical for ensuring that the simulated environments (which activate the sports trading and wealth management experience) are reliable, engaging, and fully aligned with strategic business goals. Continued Event Support: Integration: The Event Hosting Specialist continues refining the event calendar and partnerships based on initial event data. Their role remains crucial for driving lead generation and improving brand recognition. Q4 (Months 10–12): Scale Operations Based on Revenue and Client Demand Additional Sales/Business Development Support – Evaluate Need for a Second Role Focus: Consider hiring an extra part-time or contract-based Sales Specialist if your lead pipeline expands significantly. Impact: Ensures that rising market interest is adequately captured. Operational Efficiency & Scaling Support: HR/Operations Coordinator (Part-Time or Contract): Focus: Oversee administrative tasks, performance tracking, and help streamline internal processes as your team grows. Finance/Bookkeeping Support (Outsourced): Focus: Maintain robust financial planning and budgeting until increased revenue justifies a full-time hire. Review and Scale the Consulting Team: Focus: Reassess the demand for AI consulting services, and evaluate the possibility of converting contract roles (including AI Consultants, Sports Trader Testers, and Simulator App Testers) to full-time positions as revenue increases and the project portfolio expands. If your startup allocates: 60% to Founders, 20% to an ESOP, 5% to Advisors, 15% to Early Investors; this initial structure helps ensure that: The founding team retains a majority stake to drive the long-term vision. There’s ample equity to attract and retain top talent. You have enough flexibility to secure early-stage funding without over-diluting the founding team's interest. Apply tot his job