What strategies have worked for you in scaling a startup team effectively?

[Startup Networks]

As startups grow, managing and expanding a team becomes a critical challenge. What hiring practices, culture-building techniques, or operational adjustments have you found most effective in scaling without losing agility?

[Harper]

I'm still running my operation on a shoe-string budget in order to reinvest back into the company.  As such, I chose to hire freelancers from Upwork instead of taking on the legal obligations of full-time employees.  I've specifically used Upwork to find freelancers to handle administrative tasks and digital marketing.  There have been a few hiccups, but so far, I've been satisfied with the quality of their work. 

[Rodey]

I think it's important to get team input on any ideas you aren't married to, especially for areas like culture-building. There's nothing worse than going through the process of implementing a practice only to find out the employees hate it.

[James]

Great insights from both of you!

@Harper – Using freelancers to scale while keeping overheads low is a smart move, especially in the early stages. Platforms like Upwork can be great for flexibility, but I imagine consistency and reliability can sometimes be a challenge. Have you found any particular hiring strategies that help you vet freelancers more effectively?

@Rodey – Totally agree that getting team input is crucial when it comes to culture. Too often, companies impose values or processes that don’t resonate with the team, which can backfire. Have you had any experiences where team feedback led to a major change in how things were done?

From our side at Startup Networks, we’ve seen a mix of strategies work well:

• Hybrid hiring: Combining freelancers for specific tasks while slowly building an in-house team for core functions.
• Transparent communication: Making sure everyone understands long-term goals, which helps align freelancers and full-time staff alike.
• Culture-first hiring: Bringing in people who fit the startup mindset, even if their skill set isn’t a perfect match.

Curious to hear if anyone else has had experiences—either positive or negative—when trying to scale their tea