Notion Reaches Massive Valuation While Keeping Team Under 30
Despite reaching an $800 million valuation and surpassing one million users, work tools startup Notion refuses to raise mega-rounds or rapidly expand its headcount.
Work tools startup Notion reaches a reported $800 million valuation but actively avoids taking massive venture capital checks. COO Akshay Kothari states that the company has never felt that having more money would allow them to grow faster. Instead, the collaboration software company maintains a highly lean operation with roughly 27 employees serving over one million users.
The company relies on an incredibly small core product team to build and scale its platform. Just nine engineers, two designers, and zero product managers handle the technical development of the app. The rest of the staff focuses heavily on community support, alongside a tiny sales and marketing department of four people.
This strategy of staying small presents unique challenges as competitors raise enormous sums of money to dominate the market. However, Notion believes its deliberate approach allows it to remain focused and efficient without the bloat that often accompanies rapid hiring. The startup continues to thrive by empowering non-developers to build custom tools while keeping its internal headcount remarkably low.