Our Integrator wants to create separate seats for Software Developer and AI Prompt Engineer on our Accountability Chart, but I feel this is unnecessary operational bloat. How do we decide when a new technology warrants a dedicated seat?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

To avoid structural bloat, you must evaluate whether these are truly distinct functions with unique accountabilities or simply different tasks within the same seat.

Start by looking at the core roles of each potential seat. A Software Developer is accountable for writing clean code, maintaining databases, and managing system architecture. Our AI Prompt Engineer is accountable for training models, optimizing algorithmic outputs, and integrating generative AI tools into workflows.

If these roles require entirely different skill sets, have separate key performance indicators, and are run by different people, they warrant separate seats on your Accountability Chart.

However, if the same individuals are doing both tasks, and their high-level accountability remains the same, do not split the seats. Keep them under a single Software Developer seat and list prompt optimization as one of the five core roles.

Remember, your Accountability Chart should be as simple as possible to run the business effectively. Only create a new seat when the complexity of the function grows to the point where one person can no longer maintain focus or capacity over both areas. Keep the structure lean, especially as you prepare for an exit, so potential buyers see a highly efficient operation.