Tips on How to Scale a Startup Team Effectively

How to Scale a Startup Team: Tricks and Tips

While cooperating with startups that would like to extend a current team, I always receive a question: how to scale a startup team effectively? Well, scaling is a part of a startup’s lifecycle, and for every company is crucial to make the process as smooth as possible. But is it a suitable time for team scaling, and what challenges can you face? This article will answer your questions.?

Is It the Right Time For Scaling Startup Team?

Before starting the team scaling process, consider a few critical factors. Remember, only 40% of startups are booming. So, before making a decision, let me show you the list of the signals that you are ready to expand:

• You have too many tasks to handle by yourself
• The rapid growth of the customer base
• Your product is ready to expand to new marketplaces?
• You have a strong core team that can handle rapid changes
• Your company has accomplished some business goals
• Your current work quality is high

If you disagree with any of the mentioned factors, I recommend you hold on to scaling and focus on current processes. But, if you genuinely agree with all signals, then you are ready to expand your team. Scaling startup team might be challenging but regardless has many solid benefits. And there are a few reasons for that:?

• If You Want to Increase Flexibility?

Your hands are free, or completely free after scaling startup team. You have more time to focus on new strategic goals while your new team accomplishes them.

• If You Need Specific Talent?

You can get tech talent in any bit of the world. It is beneficial, especially if you need IT professionals with specific skills and experience.?

• If You Want to Cut Off Cost

Another common question I always receive is how to scale a startup team cost-efficiently. It is easier than you think if you know countries with a great number of IT experts with affordable rates and taxes.

• If you Need Fresh Ideas

New talent brings new ideas, insights, and experience to your projects. The new approach to doing business will help you to look at the processes from different angles and make them more productive.

Challenges of Scaling Startup Team

Apart from the many advantages of team scaling, you might face a few challenges that can negatively affect the development process within your company. To avoid this stress, let me give you an example of scaling startup team challenges:

• Complicated Onboarding?

And we are not talking about just a few employees a year. Sometimes, a company goes through fast scaling due to numerous tech tasks that should be covered. As a result, having many new members in your team can be a headache regarding onboarding.

• Poor Communication

When you scale your remote team by hiring experts in different time zones, significantly more than 2-3 hours difference, it could affect communication productivity . So, when you consider scaling a startup team, think about organising the proper communication or choosing the nearshore model .

• Intense Micromanagement?

Watching your employees' every movement and micromanaging every step will affect good business relationships and your productivity. Because you will focus on your team’s every step, you won't be focusing on more critical working processes.?

• Issues with Codebases

When the code quality is poor, team scaling leads to efficiency drops instead of boosts. New team members may spend weeks digging into other people’s code and don’t forget the working hours that current employees will spend helping them. Meanwhile, the tasks of both will snowball.?

How to Scale Startup Engineering Team

As soon as you consider scaling your startup, there are a few steps on how to scale a startup team successfully and with minimum hassle:?

• Consider Tasks to Delegate?

Before team scaling, consider how many skill gaps you have and what tasks should be covered. Considering these factors, decide how many IT specialists you need and what skills they should have.?

• Set Up Budget?

Research rates and salaries in countries you decide to get software developers. Then calculate how much you will have to pay each specialist . If you consider using the services of an outstaffing company, then find out their service fees.

• Think About Getting the Vendor

If you ask me how to scale startup engineering teams quickly and cost-effectively, consider working with a professional outstaffing company. To strengthen the team, you may consider hiring globally with lower rates but the same work quality. It will allow you to concentrate on core processes, whether you delegate some company functions to a vendor.

• Improve Communication

Managing large-scale software development requires organized communication, especially with distributed developers. Review your existing communication channels and develop a strategy suitable for in-house and remote workers, if any.

• Create a Plan

A solid plan is a great idea when you go through the scalability stage. It will help sort things out. Plus, you won't forget critical stages or tasks and will become more productive. Follow your plan to avoid overwhelming while scaling your startup team.

To Sum Up

As you can see, the question “How to scale a startup team?” doesn't have a simple answer because of the whole strategy, many stages, and processes you must keep in mind. But, there are many benefits for the significant growth of your company when you scale your startup team. To make the process easy and successful - trust professional outstaffing companies like Qubit Labs.?