Company Size & Manager Levels

This addendum provides guidance on how manager levels typically map to roles in companies of different sizes. It’s important to note that these mappings are general guidelines and may vary based on specific company structures, cultures, and needs.

Startup (1-50 employees)

• M3 (Engineering Manager): Often titled “Lead Engineer” or “Tech Lead”
  • May still have significant individual contributor responsibilities
  • May report to VP Engineering, CTO, or CEO depending on structure
• M4 (Senior Engineering Manager): Rarely present, may be “Head of Engineering” for a non-technical founding team
  • Role usually combined with M3 or M5 responsibilities
  • May also emerge as company approaches 50 employees to support scaling
• M5 (Director): Usually the “VP of Engineering” or “Head of Engineering”
  • Often the most senior non-founder technical leader, may be brought in where there is no technical founder, or where founding CTO lacks leadership abilities
• M6 (Senior Director): Extremely rare, typically only in rapid-growth companies
  • When present, often brought in as seasoned technical executive, may be brought in as non-founding CTO

Small Company (51-200 employees)

• M3 (Engineering Manager): “Engineering Manager” or “Team Lead”
  • Manages a focused product or platform team
• M4 (Senior Engineering Manager): “Senior Engineering Manager” or “Head of [Specific Area]”
  • Might lead backend, frontend, Data, or a major product line
• M5 (Director): Usually the “VP of Engineering” or “Head of Engineering”
  • Leads major technical areas or initiatives
• M6 (Senior Director): Non-founding CTO or CPTO
  • Still rare at this size unless technical complexity is very high
  • Focuses on external representation and strategic partnerships

Medium Company (201-1000 employees)

• M3 (Engineering Manager): “Engineering Manager”
  • Manages a team within a specific department or product area
  • Clear focus on people management and team delivery, limited individual contribution
• M4 (Senior Engineering Manager): “Senior Engineering Manager” or “Group Manager”
  • Manages multiple teams or significant product area
• M5 (Director): “Director of Engineering” for a major area
  • Leads major product line or platform, providing strategic technical leadership
• M6 (Senior Director): “Senior Director of Engineering” or “VP of Engineering”
  • Multiple VPs may be present, wide strategic scope and autonomy

Large Company (1000+ employees)

• M3 (Engineering Manager): “Engineering Manager”
  • Manages a team within a specific product or platform
• M4 (Senior Engineering Manager): “Senior Engineering Manager”
  • Manages larger teams or multiple smaller teams
• M5 (Director): “Director of Engineering” for a specific domain
  • E.g., “Director of Mobile Engineering” or “Director of Data Infrastructure”
• M6 (Senior Director): “Senior Director of Engineering” for a major division or geography
  • E.g., “Senior Director of Consumer Products Engineering”

Enterprise (10,000+ employees)

The structure mirrors large companies but with additional layers and more specialized roles. Executive technical leadership typically involves multiple VPs and technical executives operating as a leadership team.

Key Considerations

1. Scope of Responsibility: As company size increases, the scope of responsibility at each level tends to narrow but deepen. An M5 in a startup might be responsible for all of engineering, while an M5 in an enterprise might focus on a specific, complex domain.
2. Reporting Structure: In smaller companies, managers often report directly to C-level executives. As companies grow, additional layers are typically added.
3. Individual Contribution: In smaller companies, managers at all levels often maintain some level of individual contribution. This typically decreases as company size increases.
4. Title Inflation: Some companies, especially in competitive markets, may use inflated titles to attract talent. For example, a role that might be an M4 in a large company could be titled “VP of Engineering” in a smaller company.
5. Growth Stage: Fast-growing companies might create roles that anticipate future needs, leading to title structures more typical of larger companies.
6. Industry Variations: Some industries (e.g., finance, consulting) tend to have more conservative title structures, while others (e.g., tech startups) may be more liberal with senior titles.