24 months
-57% Headcount
+ 44% Alignment
+ 370% Revenue
In 2021 Cobrainer secured an >11 Million funding round and everyone said it was time to “build an organization.” We took that advice and started hiring rapidly, growing our team to >60 people. As the headcount rose, communication broke, progress slowed, roles were blurred. We lost momentum.
Despite having more hands on deck, delivery times were slipping. Communication siloes formed, and each new hire added distance between our team and our customers. Instead of propelling us forward, growth created friction.
We decided to get back to our core vision. First, we clearly defined the roles and skills needed to reach our goals. Next, we sat down with every team member to understand where they want to go and how we can align them with the strategic objectives of Cobrainer. Finally, we took disciplined action: we helped people who lacked alignment transition to new roles inside of Cobrainer or take opportunities outside of Cobrainer. The remaining team is given enough room to constantly align or re-align themselves with the goals of the company by investing in their passions and aspirations.
We ship relevant and more complex features faster, we service more customers, we reduced our cash burn, and we increased recurring revenue by 370%. We reduced the headcount by 57%. Our measured alignment score increased by 44%. All while having more fun.
The tighter alignment on vision allows us to innovate without the drag of misaligned or (justifiably) unfulfilled teammates. It’s a powerful shift from simply adding headcount to building a committed, highly effective team.