Workforce Planning for Startups 

For startups, workforce planning is about survival and scaling. It’s less about complex models and more about agile, iterative planning aligned with funding rounds and product milestones. 

The focus is on identifying the few critical roles that will drive the next phase of growth—often technical founders, key engineers, or first sales hires. 

Startups must plan for extreme uncertainty, often using scenario planning based on different funding or customer acquisition outcomes. 

They heavily utilize “borrow” strategies (contractors, advisors) to stay flexible. The mantra is to hire just-in-time, not just-in-case, to preserve crucial cash flow.