How to Build Your Ops Team by ARR levels

Also - How to Handle Conflict With Other Teams at Work

In this edition:

1. How to Build Your Ops Team by Annual Recurring Revenue Levels

2. How to Handle Conflict With Other Teams at Work

3. Poll: What Would You Do With 20% More Budget?

4. Exclusive For Paid Subscribers: The Hidden Things You Have to Get Right in the Marketing Leader and Ops Leader Interview

5. Sponsor this newsletter and reach thousands of marketing operators and decision-makers, fill out this form to get started.

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Make Every Marketing Dollar Count

Managing marketing budgets shouldn’t be a guessing game. On February 25, Pablo Gonzalez from Reckitt—the company behind household names like Lysol, Mucinex, and Air Wick—will share how they use real-time insights to allocate their $600M budget, maximizing marketing impact while saving hours on reporting.

What you'll learn:

• Smarter budget planning that aligns spend with business objectives

• Real-world examples of collaborating with finance, improving visibility, and eliminating inefficiencies

• Tools and strategies to optimize media mix and vendor accountability

Don’t miss this opportunity to take control of your marketing spend. Register now for February 25.

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How to Build Your Ops Team by Annual Recurring Revenue Levels

Marketing Ops is the most underrated growth lever. Period.

Companies that invest in MOps early scale faster, execute better, and improve revenue efficiency.

I created this team structure guide for marketing ops teams. NOTE: THESE ARE JUST GUIDELINES. Actual teams will vary based on product, GTM motion, industry, etc.

Here’s what happens at each stage:
📍 $1M - $9M ARR → 1-person team, wearing all the hats
One Marketing Ops Manager does it all—campaigns, tech, reporting, and lead routing.
Some part-time campaign support (or agency help).

📍 $10M - $99M ARR → Starting to scale, but still lean
A Marketing Ops & AI Lead plus specialists in data, campaigns, and martech.
Part-time data & Martech support.

📍 $100M - $999M ARR → Fully operational MOps function
Director of Marketing Ops leading a team across campaign execution, analytics, enablement, and AI.
Engineering support emerges as a need for heavier technology lifts.

📍 $1B+ ARR → Enterprise-grade MOps, deeply embedded into the business
A VP/Head of Marketing Operations leading specialized teams for strategy, analytics, finance, governance, and AI.
MOps is now a strategic function, influencing revenue and customer experience.

Takeaways:
🚀 If your company is growing, your MOps team should be growing too.
💡 If you’re a CMO, invest in MOps early—before you feel the pain.
📊 If you’re in MOps, this is how you advocate for the right resources at the right time.

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How to Handle Conflict With Other Teams at Work

Takeaways from Our Marketing Ops Huddle

1. Conflict isn’t bad—handling it poorly is.
Disagreements are inevitable when smart people work together. The key is not taking it personally. Instead of reacting emotionally, treat conflict as an opportunity to refine ideas, challenge assumptions, and improve execution.

2. Be upfront about constraints.
Conflict often stems from unclear priorities and unspoken expectations. Get ahead of this by communicating realistic workloads, resource limits, and competing priorities. It’s better to set expectations early than to deal with frustration later.

3. Assume good intentions.
When tensions rise, lead with curiosity over defensiveness. Instead of assuming the other person is being difficult, ask: What’s driving their perspective? Giving people the benefit of the doubt keeps conflicts productive rather than personal.

4. Look for small wins, not total victory.
Trying to "win" a conflict outright is a losing strategy. Instead, find common ground and make progress step by step. Small agreements build momentum and make it easier to resolve bigger issues.

5. Build a culture of trust.
People will only speak up if they feel safe doing so. Strong teams create a culture where disagreement is okay—where pushing back is seen as contributing, not causing problems. If people fear backlash, conflict festers in silence.

6. Stay cool under pressure.
When conflict escalates, your reaction sets the tone. If you stay calm, others follow. If you get heated, so does everyone else. Professionalism and emotional control aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re leadership essentials.

7. Create structured spaces for open dialogue.
Conflict thrives in silence. Regular check-ins and candid team discussions surface tensions early, before they become major problems. When people know there’s a forum to voice concerns, they’re less likely to bottle them up.

8. Don’t hide from tough conversations.
Avoiding conflict doesn’t make it go away—it just makes it worse. Face issues head-on, but do it with empathy. When stakes are high, pick up the phone instead of sending a message. Human connection smooths out even the toughest conversations.

Join us next month for more marketing ops discussion.

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Poll: What Would You Do With 20% More Budget?

Top Commentary From Social:

One time bonus for the team and what's remaining invest to automate the most tedious daily or weekly routine. - Tabrez Firoz

Half on paid media (whichever channel hasn't hit diminishing returns) and half on more creative. - Pranav Piyush

Expert outside consulting. - Tom Pick