Startups Functions as Game of Thrones Houses

The Game of Revenue.....?

This one’s just for fun, so don’t go expecting some profound, insightful takeaways. If you follow Tl. DV (their social content is great), you know they put together playful content on sales, marketing, etc., and that got me thinking: What if Startup departments were GOT houses, all vying for power and inter-departmental dynamics?

If you’ve ever worked at a startup, you know that each department has its own culture, priorities, and sometimes, rivalries. Kind of like the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Except instead of fighting for the Iron Throne, we’re all (supposedly) working toward revenue.

So, if this were Game of Thrones, which house would each department belong to? Let’s break it down.

Sales: House Lannister

Motto: “A Deal Always Closes when it’s Commission time”

The richest house in the land, known for making bold moves, talking a big game, and doing whatever it takes to win. Sales is House Lannister through and through. Flashy, ambitious, and sometimes guilty of overpromising. They’re charming when they want to be, but if you owe them something (like an opportunity stuck in legal), expect them to come knocking immediately.

Marketing: House Tyrell

Motto: “Pipeline Is Growing Strong”

House Tyrell is all about strategy, influence, and playing the long game. They may not swing the sword themselves (aka close deals), but they create the environment where wins happen. Marketing is always working behind the scenes, crafting narratives, building brand power, and making sure Sales has everything they need to shine (while subtly taking credit for all the revenue).

Finance: House Stark

Motto: “Winter (a Market Downturn) Is Coming”

Finance is the House Stark of SaaS, practical, no-nonsense, and always preparing for disaster. While everyone else is celebrating a big quarter, they’re the ones reminding us that we need to hit cash flow targets or we’ll be fighting White Walkers (aka investors asking tough questions). They believe in structure, rules, and keeping the kingdom from burning itself down.

Legal: The Night’s Watch

Motto: “You Shall Not Pass (Without an NDA)”

Sworn to protect the realm from bad contracts, compliance disasters, and lawsuits, Legal is the Night’s Watch. Underappreciated, constantly overwhelmed, and mostly interacting with Sales when someone needs something from them. They take their oaths seriously, and while they’re here to help, they also won’t hesitate to reject a deal if the risks are too high.

Product: House Targaryen

Motto: “We Build the Future”

Brilliant. Visionary. Occasionally disconnected from reality. House Targaryen (aka Product) is all about creating the next big thing but sometimes at the cost of what’s practical right now. They have grand plans for innovation, but balancing vision with customer needs? That’s another story. They speak of roadmaps the way Daenerys spoke of “breaking the wheel.”

Engineering: House Baratheon

Motto: “Our Code Is the Fury”

The workhorses of SaaS. Engineering is House Baratheon strong, resilient, and often carrying the weight of the entire kingdom on their shoulders. While Product is out making promises, Engineering is the one making things work. They don’t have time for politics, just clear specs and realistic deadlines (which, spoiler: they never get).

QA: House Greyjoy

Motto: “What Is Dead (Code) May Never Crash”

House Greyjoy and QA both have a job no one fully understands until things go wrong. They’re tough, battle-tested, and constantly breaking things (on purpose) to make sure they don’t break in the wild.

Customer Support: House Tully

Motto: “Family, Duty, Churn”

House Tully is all about loyalty and keeping the peace just like Customer Support. They’re the first line of defense when things go wrong, always putting customers first and doing their best with limited resources. If Sales and Marketing promise the world, Support is the team left explaining why that world doesn’t actually exist.

Customer Success: House Martell

Motto: “Unbent, Unbowed, Unrenewed”

House Martell just like CS is focused on relationships, retention, and keeping customers happy, because if they don’t, churn is coming. They don’t get as much glory as Sales, but without them, expansion revenue wouldn’t exist. They fight hard for their customers, even when it means pushing back internally.

RevOps

Okay, hear me out. RevOps may not have a domain of its own, but we’re everywhere, and that’s what makes this difficult… so I’m going to throw out two options here:

Option 1: House Baelish

Motto: “Chaos (Misalignment) Is a Ladder”

I hate to say this but we operate in the shadows, pulling the strings, making sure the departments don’t burn each other to the ground. We thrive in chaos, bridge the gaps, and make sure everyone gets what they need, not necessarily what they want.

Option 2: The Three-Eyed Raven

Motto: “All Data Must Be Clean”

The Three-Eyed Raven sees all and (ideally) prevents the chaos before it happens. Just like RevOps, it doesn’t get caught up in petty battles between Sales, Marketing, and CS; it operates above them, guiding the GTM machine with insights and strategy. RevOps knows the past (historical trends), understands the present (real-time dashboards), and predicts the future (forecasting). Ignore them, and your pipeline will vanish faster than a Stark in King’s Landing.

I don't have a witty conclusion here. I just thought it would be fun to have a listicle that breaks down the dynamics across the board, and I don't think there has been another TV show with as widespread appeal where one can draw parallels similar to GOT.

What do you think?