Capacity Planning: Turn Headcount Into Bookings You Can Defend

ArticleKey: ART-0005

Description: Model time, throughput, and ramp so hiring turns into dollars. Use a workload-first plan tied to PV/day, clear utilization targets, and a ramp curve you can explain to Finance.

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Capacity Headcount Gtm

title: Capacity Planning: Turn Headcount Into Bookings You Can Defend author: Mikkoh Chen tags: [RevOps, GTM, Capacity Planning, Pipeline Velocity, Forecasting, Revenue Architecture] summary: A GTM architecture guide to modeling throughput, utilization, and ramp so headcount turns into predictable dollars-per-day. Includes a full implementation framework with formulas, examples, and failure modes. word_count: 2,312 tables: 5 formulas: 1 confidence: 98%

🎯 Problem statement

Most GTM headcount plans start with quota and end with disappointment.

Finance wants bookings. Sales wants hires. And when the bridge between them is a vibes-based spreadsheet with no concept of calendar math, everyone loses.

This playbook replaces headcount guessing with PV/day-driven capacity planning—so you hire to a number, not a mood.

Why it matters for GTM Leaders: Predictable revenue requires more than headcount. You need a system that ties ramp, utilization, and throughput to bookings you can defend.

🏗️ System architecture: From humans to bookings

🔧 Implementation steps

1. Map the time budget

Your calendar is your ceiling. Start there.

Utilization formula

Utilization = Available_Hours / 40

Example: 30h available

Utilization = 30 / 40 = 0.75

Mikkoh's Note: If you budget 40 hours of selling in a 40-hour week, you don’t have a model—you have denial. Use 30–32 as your ceiling.

2. Define the ramp curve (by role)

Ramp curves should be cohort-based and reflect weekly readiness, not binary months.

3. Backsolve meeting capacity

If a rep has 12 hours/week for meetings, and your average meeting is 45 mins (including wrap), max is 16 meetings/week.

Adjust for ramp:

Ramp_Adjusted_Capacity = Max_Meetings * Readiness_Pct

Example: Week 3 SDR = 16 * 0.7 = 11.2 meetings/week

Use this to project total first meetings available per week, per cohort.

Mikkoh's Note: Don’t skip this. This is the difference between capacity planning and quota fiction.

4. Layer in conversion to PV/day

Once you have meetings/week, you can multiply by your funnel:

PV/day = ((Meetings Opp_Rate Win_Rate Win_Size) / Cycle_Days) Example: 10 0.45 0.22 18000 / 35 = ~$509/day

Roll this up by cohort to get total weekly PV/day projection.

5. Publish the hiring plan

This is the first time headcount gets mentioned.

Why? Because now it’s tied to throughput—not feelings.

Mikkoh's Note: Never start with this table. End with it. It earns trust because it’s built on time, utilization, and conversion math.