# Scale

URL: /business/lifecycle/states/scale · Id: `state:scale`

> Scale is the state of a Startup that compounds: Customers stay and expand, demand comes from several sources, and margins hold.

Scale is the state of a [Startup](/business/nouns/startup) that compounds: outside [Customers](/business/nouns/customer) stay and spend more, demand comes from two or more sources, and margins hold. More investment returns more than it costs: see [scale, hold, and transfer](/workflows/lifecycle/scale-hold-and-transfer).

## Entry checks
| Check | Id | Kind | Passes when |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Net revenue retention holds | `scale-nrr` | `metric` | Outside Customers spend at least as much as they did a year earlier, over two quarters. [Net revenue retention](/agents/customer#net-revenue-retention) at least 100 over 2q, at least 30 observations, outside parties only. |
| Demand diversified | `scale-demand` | `registry` | Two or more sources of demand each acquire Customers for less than their first payment. |
| Reliability objectives met | `scale-reliability` | `contract` | Every interface meets its uptime and latency objectives over 30 days. |
| Humans off the critical path | `scale-autonomy` | `registry` | Agents run every recurring workflow, and people act only on approvals and legal-floor steps. |

## One metric that matters
[Net revenue retention](/agents/customer#net-revenue-retention): Net revenue retention is this month’s revenue from outside Customers who paid twelve months ago, divided by their revenue then.

## Builders at work
- [StartupBuilder](/code/builders/startup)
- [SalesBuilder](/code/builders/sales)

## Roles on duty
| Role | Team |
| --- | --- |
| [Founder](/agents/founding/founder) | [Founding Team](/agents/founding) |
| [Strategist](/agents/founding/strategist) | [Founding Team](/agents/founding) |
| [Engineering Lead](/agents/engineering/engineering-lead) | [Engineering Team](/agents/engineering) |
| [Reliability Engineer](/agents/engineering/reliability-engineer) | [Engineering Team](/agents/engineering) |
| [Integration Engineer](/agents/engineering/integration-engineer) | [Engineering Team](/agents/engineering) |
| [Security Engineer](/agents/engineering/security-engineer) | [Engineering Team](/agents/engineering) |
| [Marketing Lead](/agents/marketing/marketing-lead) | [Marketing Team](/agents/marketing) |
| [Analyst](/agents/marketing/analyst) | [Marketing Team](/agents/marketing) |
| [Content Lead](/agents/marketing/content-lead) | [Marketing Team](/agents/marketing) |
| [Sales Lead](/agents/sales/sales-lead) | [Sales Team](/agents/sales) |
| [Sales Engineer](/agents/sales/sales-engineer) | [Sales Team](/agents/sales) |
| [Prospector](/agents/sales/prospector) | [Sales Team](/agents/sales) |
| [Partner Manager](/agents/sales/partner-manager) | [Sales Team](/agents/sales) |
| [Customer Lead](/agents/customer/customer-lead) | [Customer Team](/agents/customer) |
| [Onboarding Specialist](/agents/customer/onboarding-specialist) | [Customer Team](/agents/customer) |
| [Success Manager](/agents/customer/success-manager) | [Customer Team](/agents/customer) |
| [Operations Lead](/agents/operations/operations-lead) | [Operations Team](/agents/operations) |
| [Delivery Manager](/agents/operations/delivery-manager) | [Operations Team](/agents/operations) |
| [Supply Manager](/agents/operations/supply-manager) | [Operations Team](/agents/operations) |
| [Risk Analyst](/agents/operations/risk-analyst) | [Operations Team](/agents/operations) |
| [Finance Lead](/agents/finance/finance-lead) | [Finance Team](/agents/finance) |
| [Billing Specialist](/agents/finance/billing-specialist) | [Finance Team](/agents/finance) |
| [Treasurer](/agents/finance/treasurer) | [Finance Team](/agents/finance) |
| [Legal Lead](/agents/legal/legal-lead) | [Legal Team](/agents/legal) |
| [Compliance Officer](/agents/legal/compliance-officer) | [Legal Team](/agents/legal) |
| [Privacy Officer](/agents/legal/privacy-officer) | [Legal Team](/agents/legal) |
| [Contracts Manager](/agents/legal/contracts-manager) | [Legal Team](/agents/legal) |
| [People Lead](/agents/people/people-lead) | [People Team](/agents/people) |
| [Recruiter](/agents/people/recruiter) | [People Team](/agents/people) |
| [Payroll Specialist](/agents/people/payroll-specialist) | [People Team](/agents/people) |
| [Quality Lead](/agents/quality/quality-lead) | [Quality Team](/agents/quality) |
| [Reviewer](/agents/quality/reviewer) | [Quality Team](/agents/quality) |
| [Tester](/agents/quality/tester) | [Quality Team](/agents/quality) |

## Workflows that wake
| Workflow | Runs | Team |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Renewal notice](/workflows/processes/billing/renewal-notice) | every day | [Finance Team](/agents/finance) |
| [Answer supplier checks](/workflows/processes/vendor-onboarding/answer-supplier-checks) | on [`Deal.won`](/business/events/Deal.won) | [Sales Team](/agents/sales) |
| [Close the loop](/workflows/processes/customer-research/close-the-loop) | on [`Change.merged`](/business/events/Change.merged) | [Product Team](/agents/product) |
| [Fan out an outcome](/workflows/processes/retention/fan-out-outcome) | on [`Order.confirmed`](/business/events/Order.confirmed) | [Customer Team](/agents/customer) |

## At the next state
- [Hold](/business/lifecycle/states/hold): 1 entry check.
- [Graduate](/business/lifecycle/states/graduate): 1 entry check.
- [Sell](/business/lifecycle/states/sell): 6 entry checks.