How to Add a Growth Team To Your Startup's Org Chart

1. Prioritize Growth Early On

Without rapid growth, no startup is likely to last long.

So to put your startup on the right path, you’ll want to prioritize growth from the very beginning. By adding a growth team to your org chart early on—ideally during the seed stage—you can make long-term growth central to your company’s vision.

Then, as you scale, this emphasis on growth will already be baked into your company’s DNA. Everything that comes after will be built on that foundation, making it easier to cultivate a growth-centric mindset at every level.

The longer you wait, the harder that may be.

However, if you’re already past the seed stage and you haven’t added a growth team yet, don’t let that stop you. It’s never too late to start.

2. Hire a Head of Growth

When the time comes to create your growth team, the first step is to hire a Head of Growth. This person may go by other job titles, such as:

• VP of Growth
• Growth Manager
• Chief Growth Officer
• Director of Growth

…but their responsibilities will generally be the same. Those responsibilities include identifying opportunities for the company to:

• Improve the product
• Generate more revenue
• Attract new customers
• Retain existing customers
• Form strategic partnerships
• Expand the professional team

In short, the Head of Growth is there to help the organization scale as quickly and efficiently as possible.

3. Decide Where to Add Growth to Your Org Chart

Next, you have to find a spot for your Head of Growth in your company’s org chart.

The Head of Growth will have to work closely with a variety of departments, such as:

• Marketing
• Product
• Engineering
• Customer Success
• Business Development
• Communications

However, the Head of Growth’s role isn’t constrained to any one of these departments. True growth always requires cross-departmental collaboration.

Because of this, it’s usually best for the Head of Growth to report directly to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Some companies have the Head of Growth Report to a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) or Chief Product Officer (CPO), but this can lead to a lopsided growth strategy.

For example, if the Head of Growth reports to the CMO, you’re likely to end up with a growth strategy that focuses too much on marketing at the expense of other essential factors. But by keeping the Head of Growth independent, you can empower them to take a well-balanced approach to long-term growth.

4. Grow Your Growth Team

Your growth team should generally start with one person, but it won’t end there. As your company scales, you’ll want to expand the team. For early-stage startups, this may mean hiring employees who will go on to manage their own departments.

For example, many fledgling startups put their first heads of:

• Marketing
• Sales
• Customer Success
• Strategic Partnerships

...on their growth team, where they report to the Head of Growth. Later on, the company will establish distinct departments for each, separate from the growth team.

Regardless, it often works best to let your Head of Growth hire their own team. They should know better than anyone what your startup needs to reach its potential, after all. So if possible, put them in charge of selecting the right people to help grow your organization.

And as you recruit more members for the growth team, you can update your org chart to keep track of how your company is expanding.

5. Customize Your Team Structure

No two startups are alike. Each has unique needs, goals, and motivations. This means that while there are broad strokes that apply to most startups, no one can determine the ideal structure for your growth team but you.

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution.

So when deciding how to add a growth team to your org chart, be sure to consider the strengths and weaknesses of your organization. Then, keep optimizing your approach as your startup grows and changes.

Does Your Startup Have an Org Chart Yet? Of course, this article assumes you already have an org chart for your company. If not, now is the perfect time to create one and start reaping the rewards it can offer.

Just click here, and we’ll guide you through the process of setting up your very own org chart today.