LEARN to Scale Toolkit: Transition

Build Your Team

In preparing to scale, it is critical to ensure you have a committed team on board and to think strategically about roles and specialization within your team. The transition pathway you choose will directly inform your team-building strategy. For example, if you want launch an enterprise to commercialize your product, you will need to build out a team to support business operations and growth. If you intend to seek additional grant funding, you will want a grant-focused team who can navigate complex applications and compliance processes. Or if you plan to license or sell your product, you will want team members who are skilled in securing a strong licensing agreement while protecting your interests. The table below details the focus, key roles, and timing to build out your team for each of these pathways.

Building the Right Team for Your Pathway

Pathway	Primary Focus	Key Roles	Timing to Build Team
Launch an enterprise	Commercialize product, generate revenue	CEO, CPO, Marketing Lead, Sales Lead, Operations Manager, CFO, HR Lead	Build as soon as commercialization begins
Obtain grant or other external funding	Continue research and development	PI, Grant Writer, Compliance Officer	Early focus on proposals, expand team as grants grow
Sell or license intellectual property (IP)	Transfer innovation to partners	IP Specialist, Business Development, Legal Counsel	Build during negotiation phase

If your pathway is to launch an enterprise, review the Team Considerations for Commercialization resource [link] to further identify the critical roles for developing a sustainable enterprise.

Stories of Scaling Highlight

The co-founders of Inq-ITS, an online educational environment for science, took a strategic approach to building out their team when launching an enterprise.

The software developers are full-time staff who have developed an understanding of the company vision over time. Content specialists, on the other hand, cycle in and out depending on where the company is focused on growing. (For example, Inq-ITS recently hired a contractor to bring in expertise for elementary science.) The team of six also brings skills in customer support for training teachers and expertise in marketing, sales, strategic planning, science pedagogy, and user interface design.

Two of the three co-founders working full time on the company have brought a critical level of focused energy and attention.

Read more in the Inq-ITS story of scaling.

Notice and Reflect

While building a team, take time to pause to notice and reflect. Consider the following question:

• In expanding your team, what value will you place on bringing in staff who have diverse perspectives and experiences or who represent the communities your product is serving?

Spotlight Resource

Team Considerations for Commercialization. This resource provides a sample organizational chart, descriptions of the critical roles for developing a sustainable enterprise, and considerations for when to expand your team.

LEARN More

The Org. This database of public organizational charts allows you to search for different organizations and see what roles and functions they’ve prioritized.

Stories of Scaling: Inq-ITS. This story profiles the development and scaling journey of the virtual science lab system, Inq-ITS, including the skill sets and commitments brought by its co-founders and their staffing decisions.

How Can EdTech Be a Tool for Equity? This multimedia blog post provides insights into whether and how digital learning products can be designed with equity at the center, and includes considerations on building a diverse team.