We scaled our team 10x last year.
In 2021 we'll launch 120+ cohorts of ~25 programs.
If you think that sounds crazy, you're right.
Hyper-growth scaling of a 100% distributed team requires its own playbook. None existed, so we decided to share ours.✌️
Here's a look inside 👇
In 2021 we'll launch 120+ cohorts of ~25 programs.
If you think that sounds crazy, you're right.
Hyper-growth scaling of a 100% distributed team requires its own playbook. None existed, so we decided to share ours.✌️
Here's a look inside 👇
Conway’s Law states: the product you build will mirror the structure of your org.
Our product is a series of independent, adjacent communities, highly aligned around a shared vision.
So to scale that product, we've organized our company in the same way.
Our product is a series of independent, adjacent communities, highly aligned around a shared vision.
So to scale that product, we've organized our company in the same way.
https://twitter.com/beondeck/status/1345914642015506432
In the early days, life was easy.
For the first half of 2020 we had one program — the On Deck Founder Fellowship ("ODF"), run by four “functions”... Candidates, Operations, Experience, and Education.
For the first half of 2020 we had one program — the On Deck Founder Fellowship ("ODF"), run by four “functions”... Candidates, Operations, Experience, and Education.
Today, we have twelve.
On Deck is organized into *programs* and *functions*
Each new program has a Program Director (PD).
Like a "CEO" of a business unit, they set the program vision, design the curriculum, drive growth, and engage with the community. The buck stops with them.
On Deck is organized into *programs* and *functions*
Each new program has a Program Director (PD).
Like a "CEO" of a business unit, they set the program vision, design the curriculum, drive growth, and engage with the community. The buck stops with them.
Functions are like highly specialized micro-consulting firms, supporting programs throughout the cycle, and at the PD's request.
They help build infrastructure, facilitate P2P knowledge-sharing, analyze insights, and maintain a consistent experience across all programs.
They help build infrastructure, facilitate P2P knowledge-sharing, analyze insights, and maintain a consistent experience across all programs.
Getting the first cohort of a new program right is *critical*
In September, we announced "On Deck Labs" — launching an internal product studio to help incubate and launch new programs.
The "Launch Team" act as Chief of Staff/concierge to each new PD.
In September, we announced "On Deck Labs" — launching an internal product studio to help incubate and launch new programs.
The "Launch Team" act as Chief of Staff/concierge to each new PD.
https://twitter.com/beondeck/status/1309171346484715522
The resulting org chart resembles a "managed marketplace" more than a traditional hierarchical matrix.
The role of leadership becomes:
🧠 Set strategy/vision
📈 Create and communicate context
💪 Support and develop leaders
💰 Allocate resources
👩💻 Recruit amazing talent (😉)
The role of leadership becomes:
🧠 Set strategy/vision
📈 Create and communicate context
💪 Support and develop leaders
💰 Allocate resources
👩💻 Recruit amazing talent (😉)
🧠 Set strategy/vision.
You may have noticed by now, we do a lot of our thinking in public.
Here’s what we’re building this year:
You may have noticed by now, we do a lot of our thinking in public.
Here’s what we’re building this year:
https://twitter.com/beondeck/status/1345914609320960001
📈 Create and communicate context:
🔑 Operating principles and internal communication systems are like air traffic control to your company's culture.
We recently distilled ours down to 10 core principles:
👉 beondeck.com/principles
🔑 Operating principles and internal communication systems are like air traffic control to your company's culture.
We recently distilled ours down to 10 core principles:
👉 beondeck.com/principles
Underpinning those principles are our core *values.*
They date back to the first On Deck dinners in 2016, and are the foundation on which the community, and thus our organization, have been built.
They date back to the first On Deck dinners in 2016, and are the foundation on which the community, and thus our organization, have been built.
We’ve invested heavily in communications infrastructure. For any question, any process, you'll find rigorous documentation.
@rishi_tripathy_'s Notion architecture is a modern-day Library of Alexandria.
@rishi_tripathy_'s Notion architecture is a modern-day Library of Alexandria.
https://twitter.com/cjc/status/1304178298612641792
A focus on asynchronous communication allows the team to operate independently across 14 timezones.
https://twitter.com/david__booth/status/1345205618458517504?s=20
💪 Support and develop leaders:
We aspire for On Deck to be somewhere the most ambitious future founders want to work.
Whether with us 6 months or 6 years, your time at On Deck should be less a "step on a career ladder" and more a series of learning curves.
We aspire for On Deck to be somewhere the most ambitious future founders want to work.
Whether with us 6 months or 6 years, your time at On Deck should be less a "step on a career ladder" and more a series of learning curves.
Startup founders benefit from impactful exec coaching, but their employees mostly miss out.
We're investing in our leaders, enabling them push their limits and level up.
Today, we're excited to announce & welcome our first "Coach in Residence" (and interim COO): @EricFriedman!
We're investing in our leaders, enabling them push their limits and level up.
Today, we're excited to announce & welcome our first "Coach in Residence" (and interim COO): @EricFriedman!
💰 Allocate resources:
Tech/startup communities are traditionally VERY under-resourced; "tacked on" to a VC strategy, or reliant on sponsors and volunteers.
We are building an impactful *business* because we know that's how we can have maximum impact.
Tech/startup communities are traditionally VERY under-resourced; "tacked on" to a VC strategy, or reliant on sponsors and volunteers.
We are building an impactful *business* because we know that's how we can have maximum impact.
https://twitter.com/beondeck/status/1345914629843664898
👩💻 Recruit more amazing talent!
The On Deck team is world-class, but we're going to need many more talented people aboard to scale this company into it's potential!
If any of this resonates, we are hiring for a number of positions across the team.
👉 beondeck.com/careers
The On Deck team is world-class, but we're going to need many more talented people aboard to scale this company into it's potential!
If any of this resonates, we are hiring for a number of positions across the team.
👉 beondeck.com/careers
Thank you for reading! We hope this was helpful. Let us know, and get in touch! 👋🙏
If you want to learn more about On Deck, check out our 'year in review' here:
If you want to learn more about On Deck, check out our 'year in review' here:
https://twitter.com/beondeck/status/1343723704505667584
Or read about how we think about the future of online education, and the opportunity ahead, here:
https://twitter.com/david__booth/status/1344433835887366145
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