Yesterday, a startup founder friend of mine shared with me the growth in the number of employees among developers. Of course, I'm very happy for him: Lots of plans, new product features and development - it's all cool.
Later, at home, I thought that hiring developers does not mean the growth of the project at all. An alternative and really important metric is customer support hiring. No, not employees of the sales department (where hiring employees often plug up sales failures) and not hiring developers (you can improve the product endlessly), but hiring employees of the customer support department. Only an increase in the number of employees working with customers - those who pay you, can mean an increase in sales!
In other words, if you need customer support staff - you are growing! If you are a startup, then this is the very moment when you can go for investments. Show the growth for which you need support.
PS: Of course, your unit-economy must simultaneously show its viability. This is a prerequisite and this is exactly what we have at the Shegby.com startup now (yes, this is the startup in which I work and thanks to the experience in which I get insights that I share with you).
Later, at home, I thought that hiring developers does not mean the growth of the project at all. An alternative and really important metric is customer support hiring. No, not employees of the sales department (where hiring employees often plug up sales failures) and not hiring developers (you can improve the product endlessly), but hiring employees of the customer support department. Only an increase in the number of employees working with customers - those who pay you, can mean an increase in sales!
In other words, if you need customer support staff - you are growing! If you are a startup, then this is the very moment when you can go for investments. Show the growth for which you need support.
PS: Of course, your unit-economy must simultaneously show its viability. This is a prerequisite and this is exactly what we have at the Shegby.com startup now (yes, this is the startup in which I work and thanks to the experience in which I get insights that I share with you).