Function-Maturity Match
Hire leaders for the function’s actual maturity, then flow through every stage.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~months to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 98%
Evaluate the maturity of the function separately from the maturity of the company. Startup departments rarely advance in harmony: sales may be mature while marketing remains foundational, or marketing may outpace product and operations. A leader hired for the company’s headline stage may build a strategic, specialized team before the function has established channels, operating foundations, or hands-on execution. Identify the function’s actual stage, the steps it still needs to complete, and the kind of leader who has successfully navigated that transition. The organization may accelerate through those steps, but it should not pretend the missing work has already been done.
Origin
Brian Balfour connected this rule to his own hiring mistakes and a lesson from former HubSpot executive JD Sherman on Marketing Against The Grain.
Core principles
- 01A function can mature at a different rate from the overall company.
- 02Leadership requirements should reflect the function’s present stage.
- 03Teams may move through stages quickly but still need each stage’s foundational work.
- 04Execution capacity must precede layers of strategic specialization.
How to run it
- 1
Separate company and function stages
Rate the maturity of the company and the target function independently rather than assuming they match.
Pro tip Compare operating processes, talent depth, channel maturity, and execution consistency.
Watch out Company size or funding round is not a reliable proxy for functional maturity.
- 2
Find the missing stages
Identify foundational capabilities the function still needs to build before it can operate like a mature department.
Pro tip Look for absent channel foundations, generalist execution, instrumentation, and operating rituals.
Watch out Do not label unfinished foundations as work beneath a senior team.
- 3
Hire for the transition
Select a leader who can build from the function’s present state to its next stage.
Pro tip Ask for examples of building foundations, not merely inheriting mature teams.
Watch out A later-stage executive may reproduce an organization that the function cannot yet support.
- 4
Flow without skipping
Complete the necessary stages in sequence, moving faster where evidence and capacity permit.
Pro tip Set explicit exit criteria for each maturity stage.
Watch out Skipping stages typically creates hidden gaps that surface later.
In the wild
A Series B software company has mature sales operations but no repeatable marketing channel. It hires a hands-on builder experienced in establishing channels and measurement rather than an executive whose background is managing large specialist departments.
→ Marketing builds the missing foundations before adding strategic layers.
Common mistakes
Matching the company’s stage only
This can place a mature executive over a function that still needs early-stage construction.
Staffing strategy before execution
Hiring many strategic specialists can produce internal memos while essential hands-on work remains undone.
Is it for you?
Best for
Scaling companies whose departments have developed at uneven speeds.
Not ideal for
Organizations where the function is already mature, stable, and correctly staffed for its next stage.
From the transcript
“the stage in the maturity of the function can actually be at a different stage than the company overall.”
“you hire a leader that's at the maturity of the company and not where marketing is.”
“you can flow through steps faster, but you can't skip steps.”
From the episode
Brian Balfour Reveals How To Build An A+ Marketing Team From Scratch (#183)
Brian Balfour