Industry guide
How the tech industry works
A guide for people joining from other industries — what to expect, who does what, and how decisions get made.
Types of tech companies
🚀
Startup (1–50)
Fast-moving, everyone wears multiple hats. You help shape the company. High risk, high learning.
📈
Scale-up (50–500)
Processes forming, roles specializing. High growth, more structure than a startup.
🏢
Enterprise (500+)
Clear roles, established processes. Slower pace, more stability and structure.
💼
Agency/Consulting
Work with multiple clients. Variety of industries and projects. Fast skill development.
How teams are structured
Product
Defines what to build and why
Product ManagerUX DesignerProduct Analyst
Engineering
Builds and maintains the product
Software EngineerQA EngineerDevOps
Data
Turns data into insights
Data AnalystData Engineer
Go-to-Market
Acquires and retains customers
SalesMarketingCustomer Success
The product development cycle
1
Discovery(PM + UX)
Research user problems, validate assumptions
2
Design(UX + PM)
Wireframes, prototypes, user feedback
3
Build(Engineering + QA)
Code, review, sprint management
4
Test(QA + Data Analyst)
Bug finding, metrics validation
5
Launch(PM + Marketing + CS)
Release, monitor, communicate
6
Measure(Data Analyst + PM)
Analyze results, plan next iteration