We’ve worked with over 100 companies since 2020: early stage, growing, and everything in between. And no matter the product, team size, or ambition, we keep seeing the same org design mistakes slow companies down.

Here are three of the most common ones:

1. Hiring for titles instead of needs

Many companies default to role titles before truly understanding what the business requires. Without clear alignment on expected outcomes, titles become placeholders — and that’s where mismatches begin.

Define the challenge first, then design the role to solve it.

2. Designing around individuals, not systems

That early team member who wore multiple hats and made things work was essential in the beginning. But building your org around individual flexibility, rather than a scalable structure, leads to misalignment as the company grows.

Roles need to evolve with the business not stay anchored to whoever was there first.

3. Overlooking the mid-layer

Startups often scale from early generalists straight to C-level hires — skipping the critical layer in between. Without team leads or middle management, execution gets bottlenecked and strategic alignment suffers.

Mid-level leaders create leverage, accountability, and the foundation for long-term scale.

Org design isn’t a one-time exercise, it’s something you grow into. And if you’re not sure how to do it, let’s talk.